Strategy
by talinsquall
Summary: Cloud and Leon through first love, marriage, and baby in a baby carriage. Main Cloud/Leon. Cid/Vin. Seph/Zack. Yaoi, OOC, Mpreg, Angst, Lemons, Cursing, Non-con, Semi Sex Change. 2nd Revision Finished. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First-timer here. Please be gentle. Originally published 10/22/08. Revised 4/7/09. Last revision 10/1/09 (I got rid of most of the 'thats.')

"**Sis" is what Leon, Cid, Cloud, and Yuffie call Aerith. Reno and Barrett call her this in Final Fantasy 7. This makes it gospel, in my fanfiction AU, just like Cid's Goddamn tea.**

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Hey! Have ya heard this one? A lion meets a chocobo in a Coliseum…

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall)

Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, AU, not too graphic body-splitting, beast killing, Cid-influenced swearing, Well-meaning Yuffie, oral sex, things get broken, non-consent

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 1 - First Meetings**

***

Leon, once known as Squall Leonhart, was a SEED at seventeen, made Commander at seventeen-and-a-half, and had saved his world from an evil sorceress by the time he was eighteen.

Leon's World would soon be lost after that, along with his friends, family, and his name. All eaten away by The Darkness.

More important though, for a warrior and born leader, Squall, now Leon, had lost the Guardian Forces which bolstered his attacks and powered his magic. At first, he thought the intense headache he felt, waking up in Traverse Town, was from his abrupt traveling through the dark portal from his planet to this in-between place. He soon learned, in a subsequent attack and speedy defeat of Shadows, the migraine had come from Shiva, his primary Guardian Force, being ripped from his skull, presumably when his home world was taken by the Darkness.

To the point, Leon was now an ordinary warrior with a sword.

For the Lion of Balamb Garden, this situation was completely unacceptable.

***

Thankfully, for Leon, he soon met his new "family", Aerith, Cid and Yuffie.

Big Sis Aerith, with her intuitive ways and gentle touch, behaved like a mother figure to all, even though both were about the same age.

Cid, while seeming to be surly and cross, took Leon in without a thought. He promptly taught him more swear words than Leon could ever use, and plied him with more tea, than he would ever want.

Yuffie, the Great Ninja didn't behave like his real sister, Ellone; but she looked and acted so young, Leon's natural protective instincts came forward.

Through them, Leon met Merlin, who after hearing what happened to the poor boy, taught him the proper magic spells for the Worlds he now lived in.

Leon, being a quick study, soon mastered most of them.

With magic skills now up to snuff, Leon decided he still needed more physical training, not only for his own peace of mind, but to also help protect his new family.

The Darkness encroached on Traverse Town more and more.

Leon swore to himself he would never lose to it again.

***

With Leon's decision to extend his training even more, an announcement came, from a breathless Yuffie. The tournaments had _finally_ opened up at the Coliseum, and that sign-ups had been posted in Cid's store.

Yuffie stated, "I'm going to the Coliseum on my own, kick ass, and come back with enough money to fix everything!"

Cid proclaimed her a dumbshit, ranting she'd be killed in the first round.

Aerith became worried, since Yuffie was so young. She argued, in her soft way, against the idea.

Leon, needing more training anyway, and wanting to gauge what the competition was like from the other Worlds, spoke above the arguing. He declared he would go with Yuffie and keep her out of trouble.

This, of course, appeased everybody.

Yuffie still kicked Cid in the shin, though.

***

When he and Yuffie arrived at the Coliseum, Leon knew he had made the right decision.

Leon scanned the competition, in the sparring and warm-up circles, with a trained mercenary's eye. He quickly deduced his fighting skills, at their current level, to be sub-par, to where he wanted to be in the tournament.

Leon surmised early on, to be ranked in the top rounds, he would have to pair himself up with someone complementary to his fighting skills. He essentially needed a level-headed, berserk-style slasher, with relative immunity to Thundaga.

Phil subsequently introduced him to the one warrior, in the Coliseum, who was immune to Thundaga, since the goat-man didn't know why someone would want a 'berserk slasher.' "Leon, meet Cloud Strife."

Leon held his hand out to be shaken, just like Matron taught him in the orphanage growing up.

Cloud looked down at the hand and slowly looked up into Leon's eyes.

Leon noticed Cloud's eyes glowed.

"It's normally polite to shake your new partner's hand." Leon stated calmly.

Cloud tilted his head to the left, like he was actually considering this foreign concept, "Well, when you prove yourself good enough to be my partner, I'll shake your hand."

With the dismissive statement still wafting along the breeze, Cloud turned, and walked away, leaving one embarrassed goat-man and an even more enraged Leonhart in his wake.

***

Through the ongoing days of training and tournament battles, Cloud never spoke one word to Leon.

In fact, if it wasn't for Cloud's battle cries during the tournament, and curt dismissal when the pair first met, Leon would have sworn Cloud was a deaf-mute.

Cloud would appear, when the round would commence, only to disappear, when the round ended.

The sole reason Leon knew anything about Cloud came through Yuffie.

Yuffie had become more spastic, than usual, on first seeing Cloud. She had run to him, with arms opened wide.

Cloud disappeared so quick, it was like a hole opened up beneath him.

Yuffie was left lying, face-down in the dirt, where she had fallen.

Having had to do this more than once, Leon sauntered over to a wailing Yuffie. After helping his adoptive little sister dust herself off, he asked how in Hades she knew Cloud.

Yuffie, being Yuffie, spilled the beans, acting out everything like a stage show.

Leon tried to ignore the other warriors around them, focusing on what the former Wutaian princess had to say.

Through Yuffie, Leon learned of Cloud's past as a supposed-SOLDIER. He learned of a place called Nibelheim, and the reason why Cloud's eyes glowed in the dark. Through her, he first heard the names Hojo and Sephiroth, and why Aerith was always treated by the others like she would disappear, if everyone wasn't careful.

Leon started to feel more compassionate toward the stoic blond.

***

One day, in the training room, Leon asked the questions which had been bothering him, ever since Yuffie first told him Cloud's tale. "Why doesn't Cloud talk to you, Yuffie? Why doesn't he go visit Aerith and Cid in Traverse Town?"

Yuffie, for once in her life, stopped bouncing and became real quiet. Her face screwed up, like she would to cry. But being the brave Ninja Yuffie, she balled her hands into fists, looking Leon straight in the eye, before speaking again. "Cloud appeared in Traverse Town, with everyone else, when our planet disappeared. At first, he was depressed about our planet. But when Aerith showed up, he became happy. We were one big family again."

Yuffie twirled in a circle, and stopped, facing away from Leon.

Leon waited for her to continue, but she just looked down at her feet.

Yuffie's legs started to shake.

Sitting down on the nearby bench, Yuffie started to rock back and forth. Tears streaming down her face.

Descending, to his knees, Leon held her tight. "It's okay, Yuffie. I don't need to know the rest."

Sobbing, Yuffie shook her head against his chest, "You need to know what you're dealing with. I should have told you sooner, but just remembering-"

Leon tried to shush Yuffie and calm her down. "It's not important. I can deal with anything Cloud dishes out."

Hearing that, Yuffie pushed Leon away, with a wail of desperation, "That's the thing! You don't KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH!"

Pushed sprawling, onto his butt, Leon rested his elbows on his knees. "Well then. Let's hear it."

***

"Like I said," Yuffie continued, after getting her sobbing, under control, "Cloud was really happy with Aerith in Traverse Town. He would make deliveries for Cid and help me patrol."

"Kind of like what I was doing, before we came here," Leon added.

"Yeeeeah," Yuffie stared off into space, before shaking her head, and continuing her story. "It was all good, but the Shadows began to invade more and more. It became hard for even Cloud to handle sometimes."

"Come on, Yuffie." Leon scoffed, with a wave of a gloved hand, "Cloud's one guy. You couldn't expect him to fight off wave after wave of Shadows, by himself, day after day."

Releasing a big sigh, Yuffie pushed Leon so hard he fell sideways. "No! You listen, Squall Leonhart! The fighting you see Cloud do in this tournament is NOTHING to what he can really do!

"First of all, the name's Leon!" Leon snarled, once he righted himself, "Second of all, why isn't he fighting to his full potential?"

"If you just let me finish my story-!" Looking down at her fingers, Yuffie started to pick at her cuticles. "Everything seemed hunky-dory, until one day, the shadows came on really strong. The shadows ignored the rest of us, and kept swarming towards Cloud. It was like he called to them. He looked like he would be overrun, when it happened."

Yuffie stopped with a sick look on her face.

"When what happened?" Leon prompted her, with a nudge to the knees, and a look of encouragement.

Yuffie's next words came out in a jumble, of hysterical words, and tears. "There was this huge explosion! When we could see again, the shadows were gone, and Cloud was splitting apart! The black wings came out first! Then his body just tore in half! He was in such pain-his screams-I wanted to run so baaad - bbbbuuttt I couldn't move!"

Yuffie started to stutter. She was held and rocked, by Leon, until she could continue. "When his screams stopped, I uncovered my eyes, and saw two people there."

"Two?' Leon interrupted, "How the hell could that happen?"

"Stop interrupting me and let me finish!" Yuffie yelled, leaping up, and stamping her foot.

"Sorry, Yuf." Leon hung his head.

"There were two men lying there," In a huff, Yuffie sat back down, "One was Cloud."

Leon looked up, nodding in suspense.

"The other man was Sephiroth."

***

Standing up, Leon sat down, next to Yuffie, in a sort of dazed shock. "Waaaait a minute. I thought you said your group killed Sephiroth, before your planet was destroyed."

With a watery sniff, Yuffie nodded, in agreement. "Yep, we did."

"Then how did Sephiroth come out of Cloud, if he was dead and gone?" Leon asked, even though he didn't think he wanted to know.

"Ya know, when I said Cloud got experimented on by that creep Hojo?' Yuffie queried. "Well, we found out later Cloud got injected with the same Jenova cells Sephiroth did."

Leon felt confused once again. "What does this have to do with Sephiroth tearing himself out of Cloud's body?"

Yuffie shook her head, rolling reddened eyes, "Sephiroth can regenerate his whole body, from any living Jenova cells ANYWHERE, while there's Darkness to feed them. With our home planet destroyed, the only person, who still has Jenova cells in their body, is Cloud."

Leon thought about this, for a minute. "So if Cloud had never used the powers of Darkness…"

Yuffie nodded. "Sephiroth would have stayed dead."

Taking another deep breath, Yuffie rattled on. "We could tell for awhile, Cloud had been drawing on the powers of the Darkness, more and more."

"How?" Leon asked.

"How whuh?" Yuffie parried, feeling frustrated, about being stopped again.

"How could you tell Cloud was using more of the power of Darkness, if he didn't tell you?" Leon lobbed back.

Yuffie scrunched her forehead in thought. "The Darkness sorta makes you darker?"

Leon stared back at her.

Scratching her head, Yuffie tried to think up a better example. She then held her finger up, in a Eureka! moment. "It's like having a ghost behind you other people can see! With the more Darkness you use, the better you can see the ghost!"

Leon thought back to his dealings with Cloud. "I did sense something dark around him sometimes, especially when the fighting would get worse, but I thought it was just me."

Excited, Yuffie clapped her hands together. "That's Cloud using the Darkness!"

Leon tilted his head, in bewilderment. "If using the Darkness brought Sephiroth back and drove Cloud away from all of you…Why the hell would he keep on using it?"

A sad Yuffie looked down. "Before Cloud split in two, Aerith tried to talk him out of using the Darkness a couple of times, but he would keep saying just a little bit more wouldn't hurt, and he could protect us better."

Leon could see the logic, in getting stronger, to protect the ones you loved. For Hyne's sake, it was the reason he came to the Coliseum to begin with. But to continue using the Power of Darkness, especially after what happened…

Yuffie continued. "After Cloud split in two, from using the Darkness too much, Sephiroth disappeared, and Cloud ran away. He didn't even tell Aerith goodbye. I didn't know he was still alive, until we came here. He won't talk to me. It's like he's a stranger."

Yuffie started to sniffle again, so Leon let her rest her head, against his shoulder.

"So you think Cloud came here to find and defeat Sephiroth?" Leon asked the top of Yuffie's head.

Yuffie shrugged weary shoulders, sniffing louder. "I think so. I just don't know what to tell Aerith, when we get back to Traverse Town."

"Leeet's not tell Aerith just yet," Leon spoke, in a determined drawl.

Yuffie's head jerked up, almost knocking Leon on the chin, "We HAAAVE to tell Aer!"

Leon shook his head, while gripping Yuffie's shoulders. "We don't have all the facts yet. One should always get all the facts, before reporting back to the home office. Got it?"

Glumly, Yuffie nodded, sniffing so hard, she snorted.

Leon smiled a rare little smile. Releasing Yuffie's shoulders, he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Yuffie asked concerned.

"I'm going to get the rest of the facts from Cloud Strife, himself." Leon stated, "If he won't talk, I'll fight him, until he DOES talk."

Anxious, Yuffie jumped up, waving her arms, in front of Leon. "You can't do that, Squ-uh-Leon!"

"What makes the Great Ninja Yuffie so sure Cloud will beat me?" Leon retorted, with a raise of the right eyebrow.

Yuffie began to hyperventilate. "Through all this, haven't you heard what I've been trying to tell you?"

A stern Leon folded his arms, across his chest. "Cloud's a super SOLDIER figure, who's so mighty he split in two, because he couldn't control his own powers?"

"Duh!," Yuffie responded, "Hojo gave Cloud enhancements, which made him equivalent to a 1st Class SOLDIER. This means Cloud has super-speed and super strength. All of his senses have been heightened, and he can use hardcore magic quicker than you can blink."

"Yuffie, I know this already!" Leon yelled, turning to walk towards the entrance.

"WAAAAIT!"

Leon stopped, gritting his teeth. "What?"

"Hojo enhanced Cloud to be a 1st Class SOLDIER, but he made other changes no one else knows about," Yuffie stated, "We helped to beat Sephiroth down. But in the end, Cloud really beat Sephiroth by himself."

Leon looked to the ground, balling hands into fists. "I thought you said Sephiroth had powers almost on par with a god, before he was killed."

"Yeah." Yuffie agreed, calming down from the previous panic attack.

"Then why did Cloud even NEED the power of Darkness, when everyone arrived in Traverse Town?" Leon questioned, more to himself, than to Yuffie.

"I…. don't…. know…." A confused Yuffie responded.

"That's what I'm going to find out." Leon shot back, turning toward Yuffie once more.

"But Leon…," Yuffie held small hands in front of her, like in prayer, knowing she tread on thin ice. "Don't ya get it?"

"No, Yuffie!" Leon rolled his eyes, "All your hints flew completely over my head."

Yuffie, again, spoke very softly, "Compared to Cloud, you're still just a regular warrior, with some spell training, and a sword. Even if Cloud doesn't use the powers of Darkness against you, he'd still beat you in a second. You're my big brother now, Leon. I don't want to lose anymore of my family."

Leon had become angrier, with Yuffie's reminder of self-noted inadequacies. However, the anger drained away, when he heard her reasoning.

Walking back, Leon hugged and shushed Yuffie, when she began to cry again. "Don't worry, Yuf. We won't lose anymore of our family to the Darkness. I'll make sure of it."

***

Leon knew he would never find Cloud, until it was time for the next tournament battle. This suited him fine.

Unlike his old sparring partner, in Balamb Garden, Seifer, who charged headlong into battle, without any layout or true preparation. Leon, when his name had been Squall, planned things out. This explained, in the end, why he had become SEED Commander, while Seifer ended up broken and beaten, fishing on a dock.

Although he had put Yuffie into a panic attack, earlier in the training room, Leon wouldn't attack Cloud, with an all-out Challenge. This was never Squall's style before, and it wasn't Leon's now. He had been a highly trained SEED mercenary, for Hyne's sake.

Any new SEED, fresh out of the Garden, knew an operative completed his mission easier, by sneaking in through the back door, rather than charging through the front. A lot less hassle too, in Leon's opinion.

With Yuffie's help, Leon had a better sketch of whom he was dealing with. Faint and incomplete, but he had accomplished more missions with less information in the past.

Leon had closely watched Cloud's moves throughout the tournament. Even with Yuffie's flair for exaggeration, he acknowledged she hadn't kidded about how hardcore a fighter Cloud could be, especially when cornered by a perceived enemy.

From the beginning, Cloud wouldn't talk to Leon.

All this time, Leon believed the reason stemmed from Cloud believing him to be an inferior fighter, and not worth talking to.

With new information, supplied from Yuffie, Leon learned Cloud didn't like to talk to ANYONE.

When fighting and killing needed to be done, Cloud would accomplish these tasks.

Communication was unnecessary in Cloud's world.

With the gathered facts, Leon decided to reverse the hasty decision of snubbing Cloud. Instead, he would initiate conversations in a subtle, non-threatening way. He concluded, by using this tactic, Cloud would open up, or beat him to death. Either way, he would finally get a reaction from the blond.

"Cloud will usually be found, somewhere, leaning against a wall and brooding," Yuffie reported, before Leon left the training room, "If you can back him into a corner, start jawing away, you should get three possible responses from the Cloudster. "

"He'll open up to you, like he does with Sis. Push you back, and walk away, like he always did with Cid and the rest of the guys. Or he'll pick you up and throw you out of the room."

"How did he respond to you?," Leon inquired, already knowing how he would react to Yuffie cornering him, in such a manner.

Yuffie shrugged, with her trademark twirl, "What can I say? Luckily, Great ninjas always bounce back."

***

Leon always arrived to the entrance, of the main fighting arena, with about ten minutes to spare. This gave him time to get in the proper mindset, and also warm-up his body, for the physical rigors ahead.

Phil never told the combatants what or whom the warriors would be fighting. The little satyr gave Leon the excuse the suspense kept the fighters on their toes for whatever came their way.

Leon felt convinced Phil plain forgot the lineup, or made up the list, right before the fighters entered the fighting arena.

Cloud always appeared right before it was time to enter the arena.

This time proved different.

When Leon walked into the atrium, Cloud had already arrived. He leaned against the far wall, brooding, just the way Yuffie described.

With Leon's arrival, and subsequent stoppage due to shock, Cloud looked up. Miracle of miracles, he began the conversation. "I heard from Yuffie you wanted to talk to me, SQUALL."

With the use of his old name, Leon sensed his upper lip curl back, in a snarl.

After Leon first arrived in Traverse Town, depressed and alone (like most of his life), Cid had welcomed him, by getting him soused to the gills, to help "fucking ease the fucking pain."

Never finding the need to imbibe so much before, a drunken Leon had spilled his whole life story, along with the reasons he never wanted to be called Squall again.

While the others had respected Leon's decision, calling him Leon forthwith, Yuffie, in her own deranged mind, believed the name change was a load of crap. She decided to fight it the only way she knew how, by calling him Squall every chance she could get away with, and telling every newcomer the pair came across his real name.

Great. While Leon could never find Cloud, Yuffie could track the man down, with no effort whatsoever.

Having no idea what Yuffie could've yapped, Leon decided to cover his back, letting Cloud lead the discussion, until he could be sure of his bearings. "The name's LEON. Yeah, Yuffie and I have to go back to Traverse Town soon. Before I left, I thought we could clear the air."

"Really?"

Leon nodded, hoping Cloud would take the opening, and run with it.

Stone-faced, Cloud tilted his head, with a small lean forward, from the waist. To Leon, his eyes seemed to glow brighter. "Yuffie said you needed more training, and wanted my help, but you were too afraid to ask me."

Mentally, Leon cursed Yuffie, using every single curse word learned from Cid. He could feel the blush, staining his hot cheeks, but remembered his SEED training.

Opening hands, unconsciously fisted, Leon relaxed his body, letting out a calm breath. He would not lose face to this man, in spite of the workings of the Great Ninja!

"Sure, I could always use extra training." Leon folded his arms across his chest.

Leon knew it was a 'safe' comeback, but he was working against the well-meaning, big-hearted powers of the Great Ninja Yuffie, which always seemed to bite him in the end.

"Sorry; not going to happen." Cloud announced flat-out to the room.

Leon actually felt the words echo through the atrium.

"What! But why?" Leon barked. Forgetting the effort, to try to keep cool, his left arm slashed to the side.

Smiling, Cloud leaned back against the wall.

When Cloud smiled, either loved ones had been saved, or something would be killed.

Since Leon believed Cloud didn't think enough of him to even dislike him, he hoped he wouldn't be killed.

"Relax," Laughter filtered through Cloud's low voice, "I'm not belittling your fighting skills. You just don't have the enhancements I do. I can't train you for things your physical body can't possibly accomplish."

"Big talk for such a little man!" Leon knew the retort was a low-blow, but the Lion talked now, not the former SEED Commander.

Cloud stopped smiling.

Mako-powered blue eyes glowed even brighter, hypnotizing Leon with their brilliance.

Leon felt the air around him grow colder.

Wary blue-grey eyes spied a distinct black aura appearing around Cloud.

In the back of his consciousness, Leon identified the tolling bell, signaling their round was about to start, but he couldn't move.

Cloud went from a relaxed stance, against the wall, to pressing his lithe body against Leon's.

Before he could blink, Leon felt Cloud's forceful lips press against his, until he tasted blood. He opened his mouth to yell.

Taking the opportunity, Cloud stuck his tongue down Leon's throat.

Leon's mind noticed Cloud's enhanced hands had grabbed tight hold of his ass. In addition, he registered the fact something hard pressed against his thigh.

This all happened, between the time it took for the tolling bell to stop sounding, and the last-chance warning whistle to blow.

Cloud pulled away.

A line of reddened saliva still connected the warriors' lips.

Cloud held Leon by the shoulders, until Leon could look into his eyes. "In this next round, don't fight."

Releasing Leon's shoulders, Cloud walked towards the entrance to the fighting arena.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Leon yelled, from where he had fallen, on his knees.

The blond looked over his shoulder, with a smirk, "Stand there, and look pretty; like you always do, Squall."

Cloud then walked out of the atrium into the golden sunlight.

***

Having regained his bearings, Leon leapt to his feet, and sprinted to the fighting arena. Taking his place next to Cloud, he settled into his ingrained fighting stance, with Lionheart at the ready.

The team faced the gate, where the beasts would soon charge out.

Effortlessly, Cloud held First Tsurugi in place. Cape furling in the wind, black wing tensed, ready to give his form speed.

"Remember, Squall," Leon heard Cloud's husky whisper, "The fight's mine."

"The name's Leon," Leon hissed back, "What makes you think I'll do what you say, after getting molested?"

"The Great Ninja chirped you wanted to see my full-out super-duper moves."

If Leon wasn't honor bound to his Tournament contract, he would have left the fight, then and there, hunted Yuffie down, and spanked her with the flat side of Lionheart.

"Just think of this as my way of courting you."

Leon, in the middle of whacking his little sister's butt, in his imagination, almost didn't catch that. "We're about to battle some fearsome beast, sent from the deepest depths of the Darkness, possibly about to die, and you're hitting on me?"

"If I hit on you, it would mean you had the option of telling me no." Cloud grinned, cool as a cucumber, "Not going to happen."

Leon may have still been in ready stance, but his battle concentration was now shot.

"How do you know I'm even gay?" Leon stage-whispered, in the direction, of his battle partner.

If possible, Cloud's grin, became even more wicked, "Gay; not gay. Doesn't matter. You'll still be mine."

"For Shiva's sake, Strife, quit playing around!"

"You're right, My Light. We'll play later."

Leon, in utter frustration, began to swing Lionheart in Cloud's direction, when the announcement came, and their opponent lumbered out.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I give you the Seven-Headed HYYYYDRAAA!"

***

Cloud and Leon had proven, in previous matches, the two were not a couple of light rookies. In fact, the team had worked so well together. Their matches had gotten shorter and shorter.

This type of performance did not fare well with the Coliseum crowd, who liked long, drawn-out, bloody battles, with lots of limbs hacked off. The ferocity propelling the appendages into the screaming throng.

The masses were not used, to the finesse and speed, which came from true battle-trained warriors.

Cloud and Leon were Phil's best fighters. But their battles being so short, the team drew the lowest audience.

In Phil's mind, if it wasn't for the steady stream of fan-girls, the team's rounds wouldn't have much of an audience at all. He thought the kids were great. It wasn't their fault the masses didn't enjoy great art.

Phil had received more and more flack for the 'lameness' of the tournament. His patron talked of pulling the plug on the whole thing.

Not wanting this to take place, Phil started to introduce more beasts, powered by the Darkness, into each round. He hated to do it, but he felt responsible for his guys. He didn't want them to go home, empty-handed, after fighting so hard.

While Leon spoke to Yuffie in the training room, Phil had contacted Cloud, through Hades, informing him of the situation.

Already contracted to Hades, Cloud didn't have anyone relying on him for munny. The situation wasn't really a problem for him.

Leon and Yuffie, on the other hand, relied on their earnings to return to Traverse Town, and help support the family. If Phil's patron pulled out of the tournament, the pair would have nothing to show, for all their hard work.

Unbeknownst to Leon, Cloud had been 'protecting' him all this time. He had stalked the Gunblader, by day, and used all his enhancements to guard the Lion's troubled slumber at night.

The former SEED Commander had dreamed on. Never the wiser.

To Cloud's jaded vision, Leon's form glowed brighter than the Sun in the sky.

When the pair first met, the Darkness-fed Beast, which clawed constantly at Cloud's soul, had roared in ferocious joy. The Mate had finally been found.

Cloud's Salvation. His Light.

Leon?

No. Never Leon.

Squall Leonhart.

During his daily brooding, Cloud tried to think up various ways to woo his Light. Unfortunately, the expressing of emotions had become as foreign to Cloud, as physical touch without pain.

Cloud had finally found the One he had been searching eons for; yet he had no idea how to win him. This conundrum agonized Cloud to no end. He could easily overpower the Lion, with force, but he would never truly have all of his Light that way.

Phil's predicament had given Cloud the perfect opportunity. Of course, Yuffie blabbing her mouth soon after helped a lot too. "When our round comes, Phil, give us the biggest, meanest, most difficult beast you have."

"Ya sure, kid?" Phil scratched the back of one of his horns, "You're both good, but the thing I got's even tougher than Cerberus."

Phil looked up at Cloud, and took two slow steps back.

Cloud had leaned against the wall with a serene smile. The Darkness overshadowing his face. Eyes glowing bright. He looked like a cherub of Death.

Closing his eyes, Cloud shuddered, with the thought of finally having all of his Light. Body, Heart, and Soul.

"Leave it all to me, Phil. I'll give the crowd a show they'll never forget."

***

Phil delivered on his end of the deal.

The dreaded Seven-Headed Hydra. The beast filled the vast arena. Heads in constant motion, always on the lookout for something to kill and devour. The animal would summon down constant lightning bolts to hinder any attacks. If an attacker was even able to get through, wounding it, he would have to be careful of the blood flying from the creature itself. The creature's blood consisting of a green, acidic poison, which would eat through anything it landed on.

"Dodge the heads, lightening, and blood; but no fighting." With nary a gesture, Cloud disappeared.

The roars, from the Hydra's seven mouths, sounded too close to comfort for Leon. Looking far, far up, he saw all seven heads focused on him. "Just dodge, he says. Fuck you, Strife."

Leon raised Lionheart in attack position, when Cloud took action.

Leon heard Cloud's signature line to the beginning of his final move, Omnislash, "Farewell."

All Leon saw was a fire and lightening encased blur, seemingly coming at the Hydra, from all sides of the fighting arena.

For every slash Cloud made, one of the heads of the Hydra roared, and more blood flew.

Cloud knew he could have finished the Hydra off quick, seven heads notwithstanding. However, he remembered the tips Phil had mentioned, for the round to be considered a success. It had to be drawn out, flashy, and gory enough so the audience wouldn't ask for their munny back. Of course, he also had to impress his Light.

The Coliseum audience, filled to capacity, with the advertisement of today's fight, stood up, shrieking with joy, at the spectacle before them.

Phil was also pleased. With today's box office receipts, he'd be able to pay the full amount, for all the contract bound contestants. The men could all return home to their loved ones, left to fight the ongoing battle with the Darkness, by themselves.

With a barely hidden pout, Leon nimbly followed Cloud's orders, by dodging the Hydra's flailing heads, lightening bolts, and flying blood.

Watching Cloud takedown the Hydra, single-handedly, Leon admitted what Yuffie told him was right. Cloud would have creamed him, in a one-on-one fight.

The battle raged on for some time. The audience remained on their feet, cheering for more.

However, Leon was getting tired of dodging. Even though Cloud accomplished his true objective, thoroughly impressing the Lion, he was a warrior not a dodger, and he wanted to do a little fighting too.

To his delight, one of the Hydra's heads noticed Leon again, leaning down swiftly to bite him.

"Now you've got my attention!," Leon yelled, aching to cut something, "Power!"

Leon's Gunblade, Lionheart, increased three times in size, and burned white hot.

Leon readied himself, to charge at the Hydra.

Out of nowhere, Cloud appeared, administering a mighty slap to Leon's ass, almost knocking him flat on his face.

The slap echoed through the fighting arena.

The Hydra's heads even stopped flailing at the harsh sound.

"Don't test me, Kitten." Cloud growled, standing resolute, completely wrapped in fire and lightening.

"Then quit playing around and kill the damn thing!" Leon snarled back. He caught himself, before he rubbed an aching butt, in front of the crowd.

"Fine," Cloud's countenance darkened even further. "Killing time."

"Whatever." Leon looked away from Cloud, with a toss of the head, and a sniff of dismissal.

Before Leon knew it, the bandages around First Tsurugi, had been removed, and wrapped around him, ending in a tight bow.

Leon didn't care if the team was in public anymore. This was the last straw. He glanced, to where Cloud had been standing before, to scream at him, when he saw Cloud shoot up into the air.

Gravity's laws seemed not to apply to Cloud, who hovered in mid-air, in front of the Hydra. Waving First Tsurugi in a wide circle, over his head, the sword came fully apart in an instant. The five swords encased in the main sword, flew up from the first blade, surrounding the Hydra in a circle.

Throwing the main blade even higher, so it floated above the Hydra's heads, Cloud flew forward. Taking one of the smaller swords, he cut off one of the heads.

After repeating this five times, with five heads laying on the ground, Cloud grabbed the final sword, floating above the two remaining heads.

Descending so quickly, the surrounding air whistled, Cloud severed the second-to-last head from behind.

Landing in a crouch, in front of the still-bound Leon, Cloud gave him a tiny smile and a wink, before launching himself back up to cut off the final head.

While the dead beast's body fell to the arena floor, Cloud executed a back-flip through the air, ending the battle standing nose-to-nose in front of an awe-struck Leon.

The remaining auxiliary swords rained around the couple, enclosing the pair in a perfect circle.

Having never kissed a man, Leon, who still felt pretty sure he wasn't gay, lunged forward. Using all his strength, he kissed Cloud with everything he had.

***

When Leon pulled back, to get some much-needed air, the roaring cheers of the crowd reminded him the couple was still standing in public.

Stormy eyes widening, Leon hid a rapidly blushing face against Cloud's shoulder. "For the love of Shiva, get me out of here."

Feeling the vibrations of Cloud's low chuckling, Leon nudged his head against Cloud's, in chastisement.

Cloud took about twenty seconds to untie Leon, reassemble First Tsurugi, and retie all the bandages around the great sword.

When the tasks had been accomplished, the team took their expected places in front of the patronage's box.

After performing the customary bow, to the escalating cheers of the masses, Cloud picked Leon up, like a bride, and ran.

When Leon reopened his eyes, an emotionless Cloud faced the door to his room, at the Coliseum Inn. "How did you know which room was mine? Did Yuffie tell you?"

Cloud shook his head. "I've been watching you."

"Oh, really," Leon squinted his eyes. "You mean you were stalking me."

With that, Cloud put Leon down, backing away a few steps, "Sorry."

"I've been looking for you for a long time." Cloud looked down to his feet. "I guess I could have gone about it in a better way."

Without looking up, Cloud made a demonstrative one-handed wave, between himself and Leon. "I just don't have much experience with this."

"Well, I'm not going to have this discussion in the hallway." Leon opened his door. Walking in, he motioned Cloud to follow him.

Hesitating at the threshold, Cloud took a deep breath. Walking through the door, he closed it behind him.

***

The room was small, consisting of a small single bed, an old wooden chair, and an older wooden table.

Leon sat down on the bed.

After resting First Tsurugi, next to the door, Cloud took the chair across from him.

Neither one were great communicators, but someone had to start talking, or both of them would just be staring at each other all night.

Leon decided to take the plunge, since Cloud seemed to be content just looking at him."I'm not going to try to bluff here."

Leaning towards Cloud, Leon rested his elbows on his knees, "Yuffie told me all about you using the Darkness, splitting in two, and running away from Traverse Town. What I don't understand is, why you're here fighting under contract with Hades, instead of helping your friends. Why do you continue to use the powers of Darkness? And why you're stalking me?"

At the beginning of Leon's diatribe, Cloud had been sitting straight up.

While Leon talked on, Cloud hunched more and more inward, until his sitting body bended, like a C.

When Leon finished, Cloud took a deep breath. Straightening back up, he leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms against his chest. He closed his eyelids against Leon's searching glare.

Thinking Cloud may have fallen asleep, Leon jumped, when he spoke."I'm only going to say this once, because I'm not used to talking to people, especially about all my fuck-ups, past and present."

Eyelids now raised, Cloud's glowing eyes made sure to catch Leon's. "But you, My Light, you need to know everything; if you agree to be with me."

"This is what I'm talking about!" Leon directed an up-and-down gesture towards Cloud. "Why do you keep calling me your 'Light!"

Cloud's mouth quirked a little, to the right, in a twitch of a smile. "It's all tied together, I guess."

Cloud exhaled. "Like I said, I'm going to say this once, so wait for me to finish, and don't interrupt me."

Slightly insulted, Leon glared at him. "Well, start talking sense then."

***

"Growing up in Nibelhiem, I was the smallest, scrawniest kid. I was bullied, picked on, and blamed for things I didn't do. I felt I couldn't protect any of my loved ones, if they got hurt. I swore, when I grew up, I would become so big and strong none of my loved ones would ever be hurt, because I would be there to protect them." Cloud emphasized the statement, by hitting his fist, against one knee.

"To be the strongest and the best, on my planet, a person had to be in SOLDIER, so when I got old enough that's what I would be. First Class, all the way! Stronger than even Sephiroth." Cloud halted his speech. Eyes misting over. Inhaling a shuddering breath, he rapidly blinked, before he continued. "Yuffie already told you how that little adventure panned out."

Leon nodded his head, waiting to hear more.

"I went from being a lowly cadet, to a super SOLDIER, in five years I don't remember. From what I've been told, I don't want to remember. I killed my childhood hero to save the world, and fulfilled my dream, becoming the most powerful man on our planet." Cloud sighed. "Yet with all this power, my loved ones still became hurt and got killed. I had all this power and my planet was still swallowed by the Darkness."

"When most of us appeared in Traverse Town, including Aerith, the one thought in my mind was I had been defeated by the Darkness. Therefore, the Darkness was more powerful. If I could harness this power, and use it to protect my family, then everything would be alright." Cloud's voice was so rife with broken hope. The sound broke Leon's heart.

"I should have let things be. Even if we were having problems with the Shadows, more warriors showed up every day to help. It's just I had always tried to do things on my own, and I wanted to prove to Aerith I could protect her this time." Cloud's voice started to break. "Instead, I fucked things up again, and Sis is in even more danger than before."

"What kills me the most is she doesn't blame me." Cloud looked away in shame. "She's never blamed me, even when I ran away, and left her alone."

Moving forward, Cloud sat down, next to Leon on the bed.

Pulling Cloud close, Leon allowed Cloud to hide his face in the curve of his neck.

Leon didn't know when he got so touchy-feely. He always hated people invading his personal space. He also didn't like to be touched. For some reason, being with Cloud seemed different.

Ever since the pair sat down, all Leon could think about was holding Cloud close.

Deciding to reserve this thinking for later, Leon concentrated on how good it felt to embrace Cloud. He encouraged Cloud to talk, by petting up-and-down tense, muscular arms.

"After I split in two, with Sephiroth back from the dead, I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I knew I couldn't control the Darkness, and I felt if I stayed in Traverse Town, I would just draw more of the Shadows to it."

Leon settled his back against the wall, pulling Cloud with him, into a more comfortable position.

Cloud continued to hide his face against Leon. "Merlin caught up with me, when I arrived at the Coliseum. He told me what I needed to do, to help control the Beast of Darkness, now housed within me."

Cloud began to lightly rub one gloved hand against Leon's abdomen. "Merlin said I had to find My Light. A person who had enough love and Light inside, to help me combat the Darkness, whenever it threatens to overwhelm me. He stated, without this person, I had no chance of beating Sephiroth, who's whole being consists of pure Darkness."

Straightening up, Cloud gazed at Leon, laying an unsure hand against a blushing cheek. "You're the one, Squall. You're my Light. The sole being who can save me from the Darkness."

Unused to having so much naked emotion directed towards him, Leon looked down, shrinking away. "I thought Aerith would qualify to be your Light."

Leaning forward, Cloud nuzzled his nose against Leon's bangs. "I asked Merlin about that. He replied it couldn't be Aerith, because I wasn't physically attracted to her."

If Leon could've sunk through the wall, he would have. "You're sexually attracted to me?"

Releasing a shaky laugh, Cloud hugged a cowering Lion tight to his body. "Oh, Squall. I've loved, and wanted you, from the moment you prompted me to shake your hand."

With the reminder of Cloud's earlier rudeness, Leon started to wiggle, in a small show of irritation. "For someone who says he loves me, and wants me so bad; you're sure mean to me."

Leaning them both back against the wall, Cloud laid his head on Leon's shoulder. "Like I said, I'm not used to this, Squall."

"Why do you keep calling me Squall.?" Leon pouted. "My name's Leon; not Squall, especially not Kitten. Leon."

Getting down on his knees, a beautifully smiling Cloud took Leon's hands in his. "My Light's name is Squall Leonhart; not Leon. I only call you Kitten, when you disobey me."

Looking away, from the pretty, Leon pouted even more. "I'm not a girl."

Twining his arms around a slim waist, Cloud laid his head on Leon's lap. "No, Squall. You're definitely not a girl."

Leon carded his hand through Cloud's spiky Chocobo hair. "You can call me Squall, when we're alone, but please call me Leon, when we're with other people. It's really important to me."

Cloud relaxed even more in Leon's lap. "Whatever you say, Squall."

***

"I've never been with a man before."

Cloud's head shot up. Mako blue eyes beginning to shine brighter. "Does this mean you agree? You'll stay with me and be my Light?"

Leon removed his gloves.

Placing bare hands, on each side of Cloud's face, for the second time in his life, Leon initiated a kiss with a man. "Yes, Cloud Strife. I will be your Light."

Leon moved in to kiss Cloud again.

Cloud beat him to it, by meeting Leon's lips. Using the weight of his enhanced skeleton, he laid them both flat on the bed, with Leon below.

Leon hadn't lied about never being with a man. He hadn't done much with women either. He had been too busy training and saving the world. Sure, he masturbated, but this just proved he was a living human male.

Of course, whorehouses were located in every city, but Leon had romantic notions fostered by Matron's novels he had read, growing up in the orphanage.

Leon wished his first time to be with someone he truly loved. He just didn't think his first time would be with a guy.

***

The couple's lovemaking had started out slow, discovering each other's bodies by touch and kiss.

Clothes disappeared, in the desperate fumbling, to get to each other's bodies.

Cloud seemed fascinated, by Leon's smell, sniffing him like a dog.

About to push Cloud away, asking what the hell, Leon suddenly remembered what Yuffie said.

Cloud's senses were severely heightened, due to his enhancements.

Leon realized Cloud was imprinting his personal smell, into his mind, so he would be able to find his Light across a World, if need be.

Leon gave Cloud a light smack, on the side of the head, "Silly Chocobo. I pledged I would stay with you."

Cloud cowered at being caught. But when Leon licked the side of his neck, his mind went on hiatus, quickly returning to the task at hand.

Cloud's searching mouth ventured lower, covering Leon's body, with lingering licks and deep kisses, until he arrived at the prize between Leon's legs.

Leon slowly came out of his sex-induced haze to spy Cloud staring down at his crotch.

Eyes glowing in the twilight.

Nostrils flaring.

Leon wasn't sure he was ready for this. He tried to turn his hips away, while pulling Cloud back up by the hair.

Cloud would have none of it.

With one firm hand, Cloud stopped Leon's hips from twisting. With the other, he grabbed hold of the hand, which gripped his hair. He stared hard, into nervous blue-grey eyes, until Leon let go.

Moving back down, to Leon's erect member, Cloud started to lick up-and-down the shaft.

Beginning to moan, Leon covered his eyes.

Cloud interspersed the licks up-and-down the shaft, with soft sucking around the head.

Leon's moans gained volume.

Cloud knew he didn't have enough experience to deep throat, so he sucked as much of the erection he could, into his mouth. Circling his hand, around the rest of the shaft, he sucked, with a small amount of pressure, since he wanted this first time to last for Leon.

The hand, not around Leon's penis, Cloud placed flat on the lower abdomen.

When Cloud felt Leon's lower abs tighten, and hips beginning to move faster off the bed, he knew his Lion was close to coming.

Cloud began to suck hard. Taking his hand off Leon's lower abdomen, he used his fingers to massage Leon's balls.

Leon's moans became wails. Hands flew, from covering his eyes, to beat Cloud on his shoulders. "Cloud, I'm coming! Stop! Move away!"

Instead of moving away, a determined furrow appeared between Cloud's eyebrows.

Cloud began to suck harder.

Leon's hands went from beating Cloud's shoulders, to grasping them in a white-knuckled grip.

With a scream, Leon came, toes curling, and hips jerking to get all the semen out.

Cloud's head moved, with Leon's hips, continuing to suckle him for every last drop.

Even when Leon's hips stopped writhing, and his body lay lax on the bed, Cloud kept on sucking.

Gazing down, Leon petted Cloud's hair. "Cloud, it was lovely. But please stop, it's beginning to hurt."

Seeming to come out of his daze, Cloud sat up. Licking his lips, for any leftover drops, he took a deep breath.

When Leon moved his legs, he felt some liquid dripping over his calves. Apparently Cloud released when he did.

Cloud stared at the far wall some more, lightly caressing Leon's thigh.

"Cloud, what's wrong?"

Cloud finally looked over to Leon.

Since the couple had sex, Leon noticed the glow of Cloud's eyes had dramatically decreased. He figured Cloud's eyes glowed brighter the more angrier or hornier he got.

The SEED, in Leon, filed this information away, for later review.

"Squall. Before we go any further, there's stuff we need to talk about."

Leon didn't like the sound of that.

***

Before the pair discussed anything, Cloud cleaned off Leon's calves, covering them with kisses, while wiping the semen away.

The couple then laid down, curled up together, under the thin bedspread.

Leon's head laying against Cloud's chest.

"Yuffie told you about all the enhancements Hojo inflicted me with, right?" Cloud ran his hand through Leon's long hair.

"Yes" Leon nuzzled his nose against Cloud's collarbone.

"There's a reason I haven't had sex in a while."

"Well, from what I hear, you seemed kind of busy." Leon attempted to add some levity, to the growing somberness, resonating from Cloud.

"When I finally made it to Shinra, and the potential SOLDIER program, I was informed, if I proved successful in becoming a SOLDIER, and wished to have relationships of a sexual nature, there would be a list of details I had to know and sign off for."

"You had to sign off papers just to get to have sex? That's weird right off the bat."

"I thought so too, until I found out why." Cloud stopped running his hand through Leon's hair, and hugged him closer. "The Mako SOLDIERS get injected with changes the body physically and mentally."

"There was only one whorehouse SOLDIERS were allowed to go to in Midgar. It was called the Honey Bee Inn. The reason being, when SOLDIERS were first injected with MAKO, gaining the super-strength which came with it, the men didn't know how to handle it." Cloud began to let go of Leon.

Leon wrapped his arm around Cloud's torso, keeping him near. "Go on, Cloud. Like you said, if we're going to go farther than we already have, I need to know this."

"The regular human body is fragile and easy to break. There were a lot of horror stories of the mistakes SOLDIERS made, when they lost control of their strength. The Mako changed the mind too. It gave the SOLDIER a sort of tunnel-vision. Once a SOLDIER set out to do something, he finished it, even if his partner wasn't exactly willing, or decided not to go through with the act."

Leon's gaze descended, from where it had been resting on Cloud's face. "Rape?"

Cloud moved his shoulders in discomfort. "Yeah."

Leon thought back, to when he was beating his fists against Cloud's shoulders, telling him to stop. He had done it so Cloud would move back, but Cloud's focus seemed solely on what he was doing.

Leon shuddered.

For awhile, Cloud stared off into space for awhile. "When I woke up in Midgar, after five years, with all the enhancements, and my mind so screwed up, I was terrified of hurting someone, so I never tried to have sex with anybody. When I became horny, I would go off, and kill something, or masturbate until the feeling went away. I was never attracted to girls, so that wasn't a problem, and I hadn't met any guys I wanted to have sex with."

Leon sat up, so he could look Cloud in the eye. "You're telling me you were willing to live your whole life this way? Cloud, are you a masochist?"

Cloud's stare veered away from Leon's. "I just didn't want to hurt anyone that didn't deserve it."

Leon waited, until Cloud would look at him again. "I guess I screwed up your life celibacy plan, huh, Cloud?"

Cloud ran his hands up and down Leon's arms. "Yeah, Squall, you sure did."

Leon rested his head back down on Cloud's chest .

Cloud gently embraced his Light. "When I met you, I knew I had to learn to control my strength, if we were going to have the relationship I needed to survive."

Leon began to get a funny feeling in his stomach. "What did you do Cloud?"

The dead silence, permeating the air, filled Leon with more and more dread.

Cloud finally broke the stillness. "I frequented the whorehouse, at the Coliseum, until I learned to control my strength."

***

Leon shot out of the bed, feeling his back hit the door. He didn't even realize, his body had moved. It was purely a gut reaction.

Cloud was left, half-sitting up in bed. Arms open around the empty area Leon rested a few seconds ago. "Squall?"

Fully sitting up, Cloud started to swing his legs over the bed. "Baby?"

"Stay the fuck over there!" Leon shrieked, pointing to the bed. Nude body beginning to shake, with either rage or shock. He wasn't sure.

Instead of doing what Leon ordered, Cloud slowly rose up. The bed sheet fell away

Once again, Leon was reminded of Cloud's perfected beauty.

Furious, Leon shook his head.

If Cloud was such perfection, why did Leon feel so dirty? Oh yeah. The prostitutes. Cloud had sex with him, just like he did with all the other whores, in the Coliseum.

"I said stay the fuck away!" Leon raised shaking fists, ready to punch Cloud, if he came any closer.

"I'm sorry, My Light." Cloud murmured. "I can never stay away from you now."

Before Leon could take a breath, Cloud rushed him.

Grabbing his yelling, biting Lion, in a bear hug, Cloud threw him back on the bed. Laying flat, he covered Leon's wiggling frame thoroughly.

Weighed down, by an enhanced skeleton, Leon could only squirm, and scream with frustration. "You fucking fucker! How dare you call me your Light! I was just another whore to you! Get off me! Get off!"

Cloud let Leon wriggle, and scream, until he was tired. "You all screamed out? Will you listen to me now?"

Leon tried to wiggle some more, but knew it was no use against Cloud. With a thunderous look on his face, he gave a quick nod. "Well, aren't you going to get off me now?"

Cloud didn't move an inch. "I would, but I don't feel like being punched in the face."

Leon gave a big sigh. "I swear on Griever's might. I won't hit you and I won't leave."

With hesitation, Cloud moved away from Leon's stiff body. Sitting at the end of the bed, he stared at Leon for a long moment.

Leon kept his eyes trained to the ceiling. "What?"

"I'm thinking of the best way to tell you the rest, without you trying to kill me."

"No luck?"

Cloud looked chagrined. "No."

"I'm pissed off already, so tell me the rest. Then I'll decide, for myself, if I want to kill you."

Cloud looked down, with a small laugh. "Gee, thanks."

Leon knew Cloud wouldn't begin again, until he gave some sign he would listen.

Taking deep breaths, until his body relaxed, Leon sat up. Pulling his knees, against his chest, he gazed into Cloud's guilt-ridden eyes. "I'm listening."

Leaning his back against the wall, Cloud set his gaze on the chair. "I didn't go to the whorehouse because I wanted to. I told you before. I went there, to gain some control over my strength, so I wouldn't hurt you."

"How badly?"

Confused, Cloud looked over to Leon. "What do you mean?"

"How badly did you hurt them? I know things probably didn't go well the first couple of times. So how badly did you hurt them? I need to know what level of strength I'm dealing with."

Mimicking Leon's position, Cloud pulled his knees to his chest, and rested his chin against his knees. "The first one wasn't too bad. I just broke his shoulder. Broken arm. A few broken legs. One broken hip. After that, I stayed away, for a little while."

Leon held his knees, tighter and tighter, wanting to disappear. What the hell had he gotten into? "What was the worst?"

"Squall…"

"Quit babying me!" Leon didn't want to hear anymore, but he knew he had to keep listening, to better understand this man he had fallen in love with.

Cloud lifted his chin off his knees, laying his forehead on them instead. He took a deep breath in and let it out. "He was the closest one I could find who looked like you. His hair was shorter. His eyes were brown, but the build was about the same, and his voice was close to yours."

"That's not what I asked…"

Cloud held up his hand. Forehead still resting on his knees. "Let me finish."

Leon quieted down and waited.

"We agreed on doing certain things. Everything seemed to go well, but then he started to get really sore. He said he wanted to stop."

Leon held his breath, feeling the nausea build, when he realized what Cloud was going to say.

Standing up, Cloud sat on the chair. "It was like I was on automatic. I couldn't stop, even when he began to bleed. He begged for me to stop, saying I could have my munny back. Just to please stop hurting him. I made him come, every time. But I could tell, in a way, it actually made what I did worse."

"I woke up to the Madam screaming at me, railing I had damaged her property, and to never set foot in the establishment again. I came back once, to give the guy, all the money I had earned in the tournament. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, but one of the other workers said he left the day after the incident. He was too afraid of me to stay."

Cloud looked in Leon's eyes, to gauge the reaction. He viewed the one thing he never wanted to see.

Fear.

***

Cloud knew a lost cause when he saw one. Getting up, he started putting his clothes on.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Leon growled out.

"I think I'm getting dressed, so I can leave." Cloud replied, zipping up his pants, and looking for his shirt.

"You go through all this shit, call me your 'Light', make me fall in love with you, and then you leave me?"

Cloud froze. In disbelief, he swung around, to gaze into Leon's stormy eyes. "After all I've told you? The broken bones? How I hurt that man? How I could probably hurt you, even more, if I'm pushed too far? You can still love me?"

"Cloud, if this relationship is going to last, I'm going to have to make one thing clear to you, and don't forget it."

Leon rose up, naked. Wrapping his arms around Cloud, he gave him a kiss, which rocked Cloud to his very soul. "Cloud Strife, I NEVER GIVE UP, and I will never give up on you. No matter what happens. So quit acting like a mopey, whiny bitch, and get these pants off, so we can get to bed. Your Light is tired, and needs some fucking sleep, because he has to kill a Great Ninja in the morning."

Shaking himself, from the ecstasy his new mate put him in, Cloud allowed himself a small smile.

Taking off his pants, Cloud followed his Lion to bed. "Squall?"

"What now?"

"I think you've spent too much time around Cid."

"Tell me about it."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sexual situations are hard to write for me. Originally published 10/25/08. Revised 4/7/09. Final Revision 10/02-03/09 (Little more tightening up. The ridding of more 'thats.' Sheesh.)

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: How does one make a Chocobo happy? Place one almost-naked lion in front of him.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall)

Warnings: Yaoi, OOC, AU, Flashback, Cid-inspired cursing, Exploding Yuffie, Angst, Foreshadowing, SEX

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 2 - Close Yet So Far**

XXX

_The Next Morning_

"I have to go meet with Hades today." Cloud adjusted his cape, getting ready to leave the room.

"You still haven't told me why you're contracted with Hades." Buckling his last belt, Leon walked up to Cloud, to kiss him goodbye. "Being employed by him brings you closer to the Darkness, which makes my job harder."

"Job?" Cloud deadpanned. Eyes glowing a little brighter, watching Leon sway towards him.

"Sorry. Life choice." Leon hugged Cloud, giving him a soft kiss.

Cloud deepened the kiss, before Leon could move away. "Better."

"I'll tell you more when I get back. This meeting will determine whether or not I stay with the contract." Cloud reluctantly let Leon go.

"That important, huh?" Leon reached down to grab Lionheart. Since Cloud would be gone most of the day, he decided to workout in the training room.

"Life and death, you could say." Cloud swung First Tsurugi onto his back.

Turning away from Leon, to open the door, Cloud felt a tug on his cape. He half-turned, to see Leon looking down, clutching the fabric in a vise-like grip.

"Cloud… I…Just don't… shit, this is difficult." Leon gave another little tug to the cape. "All these things I still don't know, and you're depending on me for so much!"

Completing the turn, Cloud stepped back towards Leon.

Hastily releasing the cape, Leon backed away, crossing his arms, defensively, against his chest. "I'm okay. I'm all right, really. We're mercenaries. Once you sign a contract, you honor the deal."

Leon focused his eyes somewhere around Cloud's boots.

Grasping Leon by the upper arms, Cloud waited, until blue-grey eyes slowly raised, to meet his own. "A contract should only be honored, if both sides come through, with their part of the deal. Hades hasn't come through. I'm meeting with him today to find out if he will."

"Even if he does, you'll still come back with us to Traverse Town. Won't you, Cloud?" Loosening his arms, Leon wrapped them around Cloud's waist. "I can't help you fight the Darkness in yourself, if I'm not with you, and our family needs me in Traverse Town."

"If Hades comes through, with his part of the deal, and I accomplish what I set out to do, you won't be able to get rid of me." Pulling his Light into a tight hug, Cloud buried his nose in Leon's hair, memorizing the scent.

"This all about Sephiroth?" All of the sudden, Leon felt like he hugged a marble statue.

Letting Leon go, Cloud backed away. "Why do you ask?"

"You told me, last night, Sephiroth embodied pure Darkness. I figured you've been searching for him, since he disappeared, to destroy him."

Cloud slowly nodded, with a hunted look to his expression.

"Hades, being one of the harbingers of Darkness, would probably have an idea where someone like Sephiroth would be. Am I correct?"

Frowning, Cloud once again nodded. "Squall, you came up with this all on your own, using just the information Yuffie and I gave you?"

"Cloud, give your Light some credit." Leon rolled amused eyes. "I was the SEED Commander of a flying battle fortress. I think I can add one Moogle plus one Moogle equals two Moogles."

"Flying Fortress?" Cloud vacillated, from concerned to confused, in an instant.

"Yep. My Garden had a cafeteria and a library." Leon smiled, in fond remembrance.

"Squall, you say you don't know much about me. It's true. After this meeting, we'll talk everything out. But compared to me, I think I know almost nothing about you."

Wickedly smirking, Leon wrapped his arms around himself, rocking side to side, quite Yuffie-like. "Yet, you love me anyway."

In awe, Cloud gazed at Leon. "Yeah, I do."

Doing a quick dodge around Cloud, Leon ran to the door, and down the hallway in a flash. A growling Cloud hot on his heels.

"Guess you'll have to stalk me better then!" Leon laughed, like he hadn't in a long time.

XXX

After being tackled near the training area, and kissed silly by Cloud, Leon was left to train.

Mechanically going through practice swings, Leon attempted to piece together everything, since he had met Cloud, and how the circumstances would impact his future to come.

When Leon agreed to be Cloud's Light, the decision marked the first time, in his whole life, he had thought purely with his heart.

In the past, growing up, and during the Sorceress War, Leon, when he was Squall, had experienced, first-hand, how decisions of the well-meaning heart could be hurtful.

Good intentions would ultimately prove damaging, to the person, the choice had originally been supposed to help.

Leon didn't lie to Cloud, when he pledged he would never give up on him. He meant the declaration with every fiber of his being. However, the accepted task seemed to increase, in difficulty, the more and more he found out about Cloud.

Remembering last night, Leon's uneasiness grew, with each swing of Lionheart.

"_The regular human body is fragile and easy to break. There were a lot of horror stories of the mistakes SOLDIERS made, when they lost control of their strength. The Mako changed the mind too. It gave the SOLDIER a sort of tunnel-vision. Once a SOLDIER set out to do something he finished it, even if his partner wasn't exactly willing, or decided not to go through with the act."_

With a shiver, Leon stopped swinging Lionheart. His first time with a man had been last night, and the act didn't even include intercourse.

Leon recalled what Cloud told him, of all the mistakes he had made, when he attempted intercourse with other men. The breaks, physical and mental.

Cloud had inadvertently inflicted these wrongs, on Coliseum prostitutes, so he wouldn't hurt Leon, when the two of them finally did complete the act.

From what Leon gathered, Cloud still didn't have full control of his super strength, or the tunnel-vision caused by the Mako.

Leon walked over to one of the wooden benches and sat down. No use training, with his mind so overwhelmed.

Attempting to clear away the fear-driven thoughts, Leon shook his head. He had made his decision and accepted Cloud's pledge. He would have to deal with whatever came along.

The one major problem being physical.

Laying last night with Cloud, Leon became aware of two things.

Cloud snored and he was heavy.

Observing Cloud, a man of petite build and small-median height, a person would think he didn't weigh much. If he was a normal human being, he wouldn't.

Unfortunately for Leon, Cloud had been max-enhanced to be a super SOLDIER, with all the dense bone structure and musculature, which came with the package.

Like Cid would say, "Little shit may look slight in the ass, but he's one heavy motherfucker."

Remembering the scuffle last night, when Cloud laid on top of him, Leon realized he would have no way to push Cloud off, if Cloud didn't want to move.

If Leon told Cloud he wanted to stop during intercourse, and the tunnel-vision kicked in, he would be a goner.

How could the couple get past this?

Resigned, Leon shrugged his shoulders. He would have to find out, when the two of them actually did have intercourse.

Because the sex would happen, even though Cloud knew the risks, and lived in terror of hurting Leon, he couldn't keep his hands off of his Light.

At first sight, Leon had become Cloud's sole addiction.

Cloud's glowing, Mako-blue eyes could actually come in handy for Leon.

Leon had ascertained the brighter the eyes glowed, the more hornier Cloud became. The more hornier Cloud became, the less control he had over his strength, or his mental control.

Leon would use the glow of the eyes, like a sort of ruler, for where he stood. Low light meant easy, breezy sex. Hell-fire electric blue meant run fast, run scared, and feel sorry for whatever came between Cloud and running Leon.

For the tunnel-vision, Leon determined the problem lay in Communication.

SOLDIERS, with psychological suggestions, and a little help from MAKO injections, had been trained to complete any and every task put before them. No matter what. The task had to be completed, or the mission would be deemed a failure.

From what Leon surmised, the words 'No' and 'Stop" had been hard programmed, probably by Hojo, to be triggers for the tunnel-vision to commence, so the mission would be completed.

Why did the tunnel-vision especially kick in during sex?

Leon couldn't figure the situation out, but Yuffie did say Hojo was a sick and twisted old man, with a warped sense of humor.

Leon decided, before any intercourse would happen, clear parameters would be set, on how far Cloud could go, and how much Leon would be willing to handle. The almost insurmountable problem here being the couple sucked at Communication.

Well, Leon huffed. Practice makes perfect.

XXX

"I knew I'd find you here, being all mopey, over what-might-have beens." Cart-wheeling past Leon, Yuffie sauntered over, to stand in front of him. Leaning over, she peered into weary eyes. "What's with that face?"

After a quick back-flip, Yuffie pointed at Leon's nose. "Okay, what happened?"

Emitting a sigh, Leon rested elbows against knees, then rested his chin in his hands. Yesterday, he had been completely ready to kill Yuffie, for screwing up all his carefully thought out plans. However, he couldn't really complain of the end result. Frankly, he felt too tired. "You should know, Oh Great Ninja."

"Oooh! Oooh! Did you get to talk to Cloud?" Yuffie bounced, up-and-down, lightly clapping her hands.

"Yep, I talked to him."

Yuffie eyed Leon, from head-to-toe. Ruffling the top of his head, she jumped away, when he swatted at her. "Well, you're still alive. Sooooo whathappenedwhatdidhesaywashemeandidhehityou…?"

Leon stopped the verbal onslaught, by standing up, and placing one gloved hand over Yuffie's mouth. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise, to not be you, until I finish."

Yuffie seemed confused, for a minute, until comprehension dawned in her eyes. She nodded slowly.

Dropping his hand, from Yuffie's slack mouth, Leon plopped back down on the bench.

Gingerly sitting beside Leon, on top of her hands, Yuffie carefully placed one foot, on top of the other, reminding herself of her promise.

"I met with Cloud, before our round yesterday. He announced you already talked to him, telling him I needed more training, but was too afraid to ask him for help" Leon glanced over to a Yuffie trying to look innocent, but not knowing how.

"I was only trying to help." Yuffie murmured, biting her lip.

"I know, Yuf." Leon sighed.

Leon figured the explanation would be less painful, if he treated it like a bandage, ripping the sucker off with one pull. "Cloud said he couldn't train me, because I wasn't enhanced. We argued. He jumped me and kissed me. We went out. He killed a seven-headed Hydra to impress me. I kissed him in front of about 15,000 people. We ended up in my room, after I found out he'd been stalking me, since we arrived. He told me why he used the powers of the Darkness and why he ran away. He asked me to be his Light, which means his life mate. I accepted, which means, I guess we're married now. We slept together. Today, he went to see Hades, to find out Sephiroth's location, so he can kill him, and come back with us to Traverse Town."

Leon halted to catch his breath. "That's about it so far."

Leon had been glaring at his feet. When he finally directed his attention to Yuffie, he slightly started, on the bench.

Yuffie had somehow knotted her limbs, so the appendages wouldn't flail about. Holding her breath, her face had turned red, for fear of saying something, which would make Leon stop talking.

"Yuffie, you can be you now."

Yuffie exploded. Shooting out, from the bench, to the middle of the training room, her limbs thrashing about, "Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd!"

Turning, Yuffie pointed at her shocked Big Brother. "Cloud made you gay! Not only gay! Married gay! Soul-mates gay! Can't live without each other gay! Gay!"

Whirling around, like a dervish, Yuffie ended up with her arms opened wide to the sky. "It's the coolest thing EVER!"

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Are you finished?"

Lowering her arms, Yuffie tilted her head to the side, sort of deflating, like a balloon. "Yep, I'm done."

Sitting back down, Yuffie started swinging her legs. "The Great Ninja Yuffie's helping powers once again triumph over all!"

Leon groaned, pinching his nose harder. He prayed Cloud would be back soon.

XXX

"So let me get this straight. You want out of our deal?" Hades had a completely false look of shock on his face.

"That's right. The deal was I do your dirty work, and you tell me Sephiroth's location. I've done your dirty work, and I haven't been given any information about Sephiroth. The deal's off."

"Hey, hey, hey! Give me some time. Rome wasn't built in a day. I've got my spies casing all the Worlds, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack." Hades slouched on his throne. "What's the sudden rush, Kid? Ya suddenly acting like you got a little wifey at home to fly to."

Cloud couldn't help what happened next. He remembered, that morning, waiting for Leon to wake up.

Shoulder-length hair tousled. Blue-grey eyes bleary with sleep.

Leon's irises warmed with love, for Cloud, when they focused on him, guarding his most Precious, from the chair across the way.

Unconsciously, a little smile appeared on Cloud's face. The Darkness, surrounding him, receding slightly, replaced by a faint golden glow.

Hades, waiting for Cloud's response, squinted from the Light, and started to shrink back on his throne. "Yo, Kid. Dim the Light. You're scaring the Hell-bats."

Cloud shook his head, regaining his focus. The glow disappeared, swiftly replaced by the Darkness. "Not your business what I have at home. I'm here about our deal, and I want out. I'll find Sephiroth on my own."

"Yeah, Good Luck with that. You've had such greeeat luck so far." Hades leaned forward, to emphasize his sincerity. "Stick with me, Kid. I swear, after this next job's done, I'll have all the information you need. Then you can do what you like."

Lowering his voice, Hades bended forward, even more. "And... you won't have to be ashamed, about being all dark and shadowy, around the new little wife at home."

Before Hades could blink, the tip of First Tsurugi lay nestled under his chin, lightly grazing his Adam's apple. "Leave him out of this."

Hades's eyebrows raised in surprise, when Cloud growled out 'HIM,' but the God's main concern remained with the big sword against his neck. He quickly raised his hands in a "Don't hurt me." manner. "Hey, relax. Just jokin'. Tryin' to liven up the scene. Know what I mean. Heh. Heh. No offense. 'Kay?"

Slowly lowering the sword, Cloud backed off. "This one last job, then we're done. Right?"

"Sure. Sure." Hades nodded, rubbing his neck, with a frown.

Cloud walked back.

"Sheesh! Newlyweds." Hades murmured, under his breath.

"What's the job?" Cloud stated, going into mission mode.

"Now we're talking!" Hades rubbed his hands together, generating fire between them. "Your next, and final job, will be against a lad called Hercules. Kill him, in the Coliseum, in a fight to the death, and the deal's done."

Cloud fell out of game face, when he heard the hit would be at the Coliseum. He had, so far, completed all the jobs, assigned by Hades, away from Leon, so Leon wouldn't see how much of a monster his new mate could actually be.

"We having a little problem here? I would think this job would be pretty cut and dry for one such as yourself." Hades punctuated the statement, with a light flourish of Hell-fire.

"Can't the hit be done away from the Coliseum?" Cloud requested.

Hades frowned. "No can do. In the Coliseum. To the death. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Cloud racked his brain, trying to think of a way to complete the deal, without Leon seeing the act.

Hades exhaled a big sigh of realization. "OH! Now I get it! The new Wifey's at the Coliseum, and doesn't know what Cloud really does for big, bad Hades! Let me tell ya, Kid. Can't keep secrets from the Wife. Spouses always find out."

Cloud glared at Hades. Eyes beginning to glow brighter.

"Buuut you don't want Wifey to know. Got it! Hey, I'm a lover, not a fighter, myself. Just let Daddy Hades take care of it, and you go kill yourself one golden Demi-god. Got it? Good."

With a firm nod, Cloud turned around, and left.

Reaching around, behind the throne, Hades grabbed Pain, who grabbed Panic. He pulled the pair up to face-level. "Go down to the Coliseum and get me that good-for-nothing goat!"

After the shaking creatures nodded their heads, Hades threw them towards the cave opening. Picking themselves up, the two quickly ran off to do his bidding.

XXX

Attempting to get away, from the headache called Yuffie, Leon decided to return to his room, and take a nap.

Once Cloud returned, from his meeting with Hades, Leon would inform Cloud of his decision in the training room. The couple would set down limits, so he wouldn't accidentally get hurt.

The couple could then attempt to have intercourse, since the team wouldn't be fighting until tomorrow.

Leon would have liked to take the physical relationship slower, but Cloud had enough trouble controlling himself.

A thought also occurred, to Leon. The more intimate he became with Cloud, the less sway the Darkness seemed to hold over his mate.

Leon took jacket, belts, and boots off.

Laying down on the bed, a bemused Leon shook his head. Technically, he and Cloud had only been a couple for a day and a half.

To think, the rest of Leon's life, he would be loving and caring for a broken, beautiful, dark angel. A being with all the power of a Demi-god, but with almost zero control, without his Light.

What would Cloud do when Leon dies?

Leon wasn't even sure Cloud _could_ die.

Cloud's healing rate, from the Mako enhancements, awed Leon.

Cloud had literally been torn apart, when Sephiroth came back to life, yet he had no scars.

When the pair fought together, Leon would see Cloud receive slashes, which would kill most men. The enhancements healed the wounds in seconds.

Reminiscing, Leon suddenly realized Cloud had taken all the heavy hits.

Cloud allowed Leon to fight enough, so the Lion believed he had contributed. However, when the battle came down to the nitty-gritty, he made sure Leon never come close to being injured.

Like-minded, Leon perceived this was how Cloud showed his love, not with words, but with deeds that mattered.

Rolling onto his side, Leon buried his face, into the pillow Cloud had slept on.

Chocobo yellow hair, Mako-blue eyes, skin pale like the moon, and a body, scientifically enhanced to perfection. The Gods had rummaged through Leon's subconscious, pieced all his wishes together, and given him Cloud Strife.

Wrinkling his nose against the pillow, Leon made himself more comfortable. He would bring Cloud home, to his family, where he belonged.

Cloud was the most powerful warrior Leon had ever seen.

The Coliseum catered to both the Light and the Darkness.

Fighting against the best the Darkness had to offer, Cloud had defeated all foes easily.

With Cloud by his side, Leon reveled, certain he would never lose to the Darkness again. His family would be safe.

Drifting off to sleep, Leon sensed a presence he hadn't felt, since his World had been swallowed by the Darkness. He felt the warm, comfort of his sister hovering over him. She always smiled.

"Oh, Ellone." Leon murmured. "I wish you could have met Cloud. He's made me so happy."

XXX

"Ellone? Nope, Leon. Wrong sister. It's the Great Ninja Yuffie!"

Leon opened weary eyes, to view a hovering Yuffie, with what Cid called the Glee of Doom. "How long have I been asleep? If it hasn't been longer than an hour, you better have a damn good reason for waking me up."

Yuffie twirled, landing with a flop on the wooden chair, next to the bed. "It's been about twenty-five minutes. I think."

Leon got ready to punt Yuffie out of the chair, through the open door, into the hallway. He just had to get the angle right.

Reading Leon's intentions, Yuffie quickly held her hands up. "Whoa, Big Brother. Before you go for the winning goal, I actually do have a good reason for interrupting your beauty sleep."

With a resigned groan, Leon dropped back on the bed. "What is it?"

"A message arrived for us from Traverse Town." Yuffie replied excitedly.

Instantly coming alert, Leon sat up. "What did it say?"

The missives, received from Traverse Town, had become bleaker by the week.

Prior to being jumped by Cloud, Leon had only been waiting for the last purse, from the Hydra fight, before he and Yuffie returned to Traverse Town.

The family needed the earnings, even though Cid's pride wouldn't let him say it out loud; but the family couldn't use the funds, if the Heartless killed them first.

"It seems things have gotten worse. Cid's cigarette smoking's increased, and the Keyblader's coming." Yuffie reported all this, with a blasé wave of her hand. Legs crossed and foot swinging.

"Keyblader? I thought that was a myth. And how could Cid's smoking possibly increase? Is he smoking out of his ears now?" Leon crossed his legs Indian-style, trying to process the information.

"Uhhh, I dunno. But there was this place in Wutai, where the girls would take lit cigarettes, and blow smoke rings out of their-"

Leon quickly held up his hand. "Do not need to know, Yuffie. Besides weren't you way too young to even be near places like that?"

Reclining, Yuffie stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Hey, what can I say? I've always been a curious ninja."

Putting his hand down, Leon released a big sigh. "We need to get back to Traverse Town. I doubt Cloud will be able to come back with us so soon. What am I going to tell him? How can I help him contain his Darkness, if he's Worlds away from me?"

"Welcome to Married Life." Bouncing up, Yuffie walked to the door.

Pausing, she pirouetted back to face Leon. "Almost forgot. Phil said he needed to see you in his office A.S.A.P. You still need to pick up our share of yesterday's box office receipts. He said we made a killing."

Dismayed, Leon ran his hand through his hair. "Well, at least there's some good news."

XXX

When Leon showed up to Phil's closet, called an office, the goat-man ran up to him, motioning for a hug.

Flustered, Leon bent down. When he straightened up, the biggest bag of munny he had ever seen was thrown into his arms.

Grabbing the bag, out of reflex, Leon gazed down at the riches in surprise. "This can't all be mine! Cloud must still need his cut, and so does the Coliseum!"

Phil made a great show, of looking through old rosters. "Cloud came by, this morning, before meeting Hades. He told me his cut, from yesterday, should go to you. He also told me to send all his future earnings to you in Traverse Town."

Leon shifted an alarmed gaze, from the big bag of munny, down to the satyr.

Phil gazed up to Leon, with sad eyes, but a smile on his face. "Heard the good news, Kid. Congratulations."

Clutching the bag to his chest, Leon convulsively swallowed. "Who else knows?"

Placing hoofs on hips, Phil thought for a moment. "From what I know, besides me, ya got Cloud, Yuffie, and Hades."

Leon contemplated the bag of munny, envisioning Cloud's face, on the fabric.

"Don't need all this. I just need you." Leon murmured, imagining Cloud could hear him.

Beholding the beautiful, sorely misinformed boy before him, Phil sadly shook his head. Hades would be screwing these kids over right good, and he could do nothing, without putting his own life on the line.

Hades planned something awful, with Cloud being the key component. The god's evil plans always spelled trouble for Phil's friend, Hercules.

Phil had to be here for Herc. For he saw, standing before him, all Cloud had to lose.

Besides Cloud, Phil had never seen a more beautiful man than Leon, and Phil was a pretty old goat.

Cloud would have no mercy, for whoever he perceived, keeping him from Leon.

Phil believed Hades had placed Hercules, in front of Cloud, blocking him from joining Leon. "The rest comes from the Patron of the Coliseum. He said to consider the gift a belated wedding present."

"You mean Hades. Don't you?" Leon glared at Phil, gesturing like he would throw the bag.

Phil quickly put his arms up. "Hey, Kid! Calm down! Who cares who's it from! Think of your family back in Traverse Town! You guys need it. Am I right?"

The rage, in Leon, drained away, quickly replaced with misery. "Yeah. We need the munny really bad."

Leon's eyes filled, but he rapidly blinked, so the tears wouldn't fall. "Phil, I'm sorry. Yuffie and I received an emergency letter, from our family, in Traverse Town. We'll have to leave as soon as possible. I hope it won't screw up your roster."

Not giving any outward signs, Phil felt thrilled by this development. He had been ordered, by the God of the Underworld, to: "Find out who Cloud's Goddamn mated to, and get him Goddamn out of town, or get ready to be a Goddamned fried goat."

Phil had been racking his horns, on how to get Leon off-planet, before Hades's nefarious plans went into effect. This worked right up his alley.

Phil slowly steered Leon to the door. "Don't worry about a thing, Kid. I already got replacements picked, and primed, to take you guys' spots."

Leon stopped dead, making Phil run into his legs. "Wait. Did Yuffie tell you already?"

Phil thought fast. "Yeah! Yeah! Yuffie told me all about it. How else do you think I rigged all this up so quickly?"

"Oh. Sorry for doubting you, Phil." Opening the door, Leon turned to ask Phil another question.

Phil blurted out, "Shouldn't Cloud be back from the Underworld?"

"That's right." Misery cleared from Leon's face, replaced with anticipation.

Leon glanced back to Phil, with happy, blue-gray eyes, which moments before, had been filled with tears. "Thanks, Phil, for everything."

Smiling, Leon's visage transformed, from merely pretty, to absolutely breathtaking. Giving a little wave goodbye, he closed the door behind him.

When the door clicked shut, the feigned smile on Phil's face fell away. He covered his eyes, feeling disgusted about the whole mess. "Sorry, Kid. But them's the breaks."

XXX

To put the situation lightly, Cloud felt pretty glum, when he knocked on the door to Leon's room.

Using the thought, of seeing and holding his Light again, Cloud had barely been able to control the raging Beast inside.

If the Heartless hadn't disappeared, when Cloud killed them, a mountainous trail of dead carcasses would have led all the way, from the Underworld, to the Coliseum Inn.

With enhanced hearing, Cloud heard Leon's dear heartbeat, speed up, along with his breathing.

Hearing Leon sprint to the door, Cloud viewed the door opening a little.

Being excessively paranoid, due to extreme life circumstances, Cloud stayed in place, letting inertia naturally swing the door open. Mako-blue eyes widening, he gasped at the sight inside. All the blood leaving his brain, to shoot straight down to his groin.

Leon stood in the middle of the room, naked, save for a little pair of low-hanging, threadbare boxers. Longish, brunet hair lay slightly tousled, due to the little sprint, to and from the door. A light sheen of sweat covered his body, due to nerves, and a little prudery. The golden light, shining down from the small window above, caressed his body with a loving hand.

Wrapping unsure arms around himself, Leon unconsciously shifted his balance, from foot to foot. He waited for Cloud to do something.

Unfortunately, beholding Leon, in the afternoon light, Cloud had become petrified in the hallway.

If his eyes hadn't glowed brighter and brighter, Leon would've sworn Cloud had suffered a stroke standing up. He leaned over, with a harsh whisper. "Cloud! People can see me out there!"

At the thought of other beings, getting even a glance, of his mate in this state, Cloud's body took action.

Taking one long stride inside, Cloud slammed, and locked the door.

First Tsurugi dropped to the floor, with a humongous clang.

Cloud's cape flew to the side, falling over the chair.

Stripping gauntlet, and other glove off, Cloud threw them over his shoulder.

The shirt dropped to the floor.

Overexcited, Cloud struggled to tear his boots off, while standing up.

All this happened, in front of a shivering Leon, in the space of about ten seconds.

With Cloud having trouble getting his boots off, Leon suddenly remembered the planned unmentioned safety limits.

"Wait, Cloud! Wait!" Leon held his hands up, knowing better than to touch Cloud.

Cloud stopped struggling with his boot.

Glaring up at Leon, with eyes filled with blue fire, Cloud growled. "What?"

The Darkness began to rapidly develop around Cloud. The Beast, inside, clawing for control.

Searching Cloud's glowing eyes, Leon found no reasoning.

Not knowing what to do, Leon tightly wrapped his arms around himself. Crouching down, into a scared little ball, he covered his eyes with his knees.

Things happened so fast today. The letter from Traverse Town. The news Cloud would be giving everything he would ever earn to Leon. The imminent separation from Cloud.

Leon sniffed, trying not to cry. This get-naked scenario seemed like a good idea about ten minutes ago. He felt so stupid.

This morning, Leon thoroughly planned out how things would go for the couple's first true time. He then had to get all emotional and think with his heart again.

Terrified, Leon inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. He only had his boxers on, with a sex-enraged, Darkness-filled Cloud blocking the door.

Shaking his head, Leon rubbed falling tears against his knees. He screwed up so bad.

Leon heard a mighty thump.

The floor moved violently, like an earthquake had just happened.

Venturing a glance up, Leon viewed a slumped Cloud, on his knees.

Cloud had punched the floor, leaving a big hole. Cracks webbed outward, from point of impact.

If the couple hadn't been on the ground floor, Cloud might've fallen through.

Cloud breathed heavily, in-and-out, struggling to regain control. He snarled, through gritted teeth. "This isn't going to work. I see you, like this, and I can't think. I can't control it. I smell your fear and it's killing me."

With good reason, Leon felt scared, but Cloud hurt so much. The Darkness visibly eating away at him.

Leon couldn't let that stand.

Slowly unwinding himself, careful not to make any sudden moves, Leon rose up to a sitting position. Settled, on his knees, he held his arms open wide. "Cloud?"

Leon winced, hearing how shaky and slight his voice sounded, due to the fear.

Cloud refused to look up.

Swallowing, Leon took a deep breath, and tried again. "Cloud, I'm here. Please don't leave me all alone."

Exhaling, Cloud finally raised his head, to look at Leon.

Eyes, overflowing with Mako-tinged tears, widened at the blessed sight.

Leon. No, Squall. Cloud's trusting, terrified Light, had left himself open, to what he believed would be a brutal and painful attack.

The fog in Cloud's mind instantly cleared away.

Crawling forward, Cloud dragged his way towards salvation.

Gently enclosing his Lion, in a possessive embrace, Cloud rubbed his face in the crook of Leon's neck, inhaling his scent.

Squall. This scent is Squall. Squall trusts me not to hurt him. Must never hurt Squall. Squall is my Light. My Mate. Forever.

Relieved, Leon accepted Cloud's embrace. His fear retreated, when he watched the fiery blue glow, in Cloud's eyes, dim.

The Darkness dissipated, leaving Leon's love-filled Light, to brighten the room.

The couple could now try again.

XXX

Calmer this time, Cloud sat on the bed, methodically removing his boots.

Leon had already taken off his boxers, laying himself flat on the bed.

Turning, Cloud focused on Leon's face, so he could maintain better control. "How do you want to do this, Squall? It's your call."

Leon motioned Cloud to rest beside him, so Cloud laid half on the bed, and half on Leon. "I need to see your eyes, and I need for you to put most of your weight on your arms, so you don't crush me. Okay?"

Cloud nodded. "All right. But Squall, you need to talk to me, while we do this."

Looking away from Cloud, Leon gifted him, with a rosy blush. "Cloud, I don't think I can."

Leaning in, Cloud nuzzled Leon's reddened cheek. "Babe, I have to know, if I'm hurting you. I don't ever want to hurt you."

Moving his head back, Leon gave Cloud a soft kiss. " I'll try, but don't make fun of me."

Cloud's mouth twitched, fighting a smile. "I promise."

Cloud raised himself, to peer over at the table. "Do we have anything, to make this easier? If we don't, this ends right now."

Leon, uncharacteristically, giggled against Cloud's shoulder.

Alarmed, Cloud squinted down at his mate.

Leon had the naughtiest little smile on his face. "You'll never believe what you can find at the Coliseum's gift shop."

Leon pointed to the far end of the table.

Backed up against the wall, a small sized bottle hid, along with a familiar looking box.

Getting up, Cloud handled both objects, giving them a thorough look-through. "Do you want me to wear a condom?"

"Did you wear one for each of the times before?" Leon noticed Cloud's back visibly stiffened, going over the bad memories.

"Yeah." Cloud whispered.

"You said the Mako ran through all the fluids in your body. Will it hurt me?"

Cloud looked over to Leon. "It shouldn't. In all of Shinra's testing, the scientists only noticed changes in the babies born from the mates of SOLDIERS."

Leon's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really."

"Yeah." Cloud gave Leon a big, pure smile. "When Mommy and SOLDIER really love each other, they make the beast with two backs, and out comes a baby SOLDIER."

Leon laughed out loud. "So, if I had your baby, he'd be all super SOLDIER, like you?"

Actually contemplating the silly notion, Cloud frowned. "Weeelll, he wouldn't have all the extra enhancements. But super strength, speed, reflexes, and healing… Yeah, he'd have them all. It'd be hard to get a babysitter for him, though."

For a long moment, Leon stayed silent.

Coming to a fateful decision, Leon beamed, in Cloud's direction. "Leave the condoms, Cloud. For our first time, I want to feel you inside me."

With a return grin, Cloud tossed the condoms back on the table. "Guess it's a good thing you can't get pregnant."

In his head, Leon smiled a secret little smile. "_Oh Love, what a surprise I have in the future for you." _

XXX

Reclining next to his Lion, Cloud placed the small bottle nearby. Angling forward, he began to softly kiss Leon, who returned the kisses with equal fervor.

Interspersing kisses, with teasing bites and licks, Cloud steadily caressed Leon's body.

Familiarizing Leon to his touch, Cloud tried to be gentle.

Remembering Leon's instructions, Cloud held his upper body up, so his love wouldn't be crushed.

Positioning lower bodies, so erections would rub against each other, Cloud started a slow, but steady, rhythm of friction, which Leon quickly adapted to.

While Cloud tried everything in his power to be gentle, Leon seemed to completely forget his earlier fear of Cloud losing control.

Leon trailed wild, open-mouthed kisses down Cloud's neck. Licking across both collar-bones, he ended the rough foreplay, with a ferocious bite to Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud froze. Biting his lower lip, he didn't scream, or pull away. "Kitten, don't bite, unless you want me to bite you back harder."

Feigning guilt, Leon released Cloud's shoulder, making a show of licking bloodied lips. "Sorry."

Taking the bait, a growling Cloud kissed Leon hard, pressing his head back against the pillows.

The bitter Mako aftertaste, on Leon's teeth and tongue, turned Cloud on even more.

The Darkness-fed Beast, inside, purred with approval. A little spitfire of a Kitten. His mate's ultimate submission would prove truly sweet.

The couple separated, taking in great gulps of air.

The whole atmosphere, of their little room, had become fetid and hot.

Leon rose up, to take Cloud back, into his arms.

Cloud moved away, shaking his head, with a small smirk on his face.

Leon felt confused, until Cloud grabbed the forgotten small bottle.

Uncapping the top, Cloud squirted the lubricant all over his fingers. Sitting between Leon's legs, he nudged them apart. "Hold your thighs up and keep your legs open."

Leon followed Cloud's order, but he sensed a rosy blush developing, over his whole body. He never felt so exposed in his life.

Glimpsing Leon's uneasiness, Cloud softly kissed the insides of Leon's thighs, followed by a lick to the head of his erection.

Startled, Leon, if possible, blushed even harder.

Cloud kissed the shaking top of each knee. "Relax, Squall. You're beautiful, especially now."

Acknowledging Leon seemed way too tense, for actual penetration, Cloud decided to take the edge off, in an old tried and true manner.

Hunkering down, Cloud began to suck on Leon's erection. Using one hand, to massage Leon's balls, he softened Leon's sphincter with the other.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Halting the sucking, Cloud leered at Leon, with lightly glowing eyes. "You're too tense. If you don't relax, I'll hurt you for sure. Remember, you have to talk to me, and tell me if I'm hurting you. Am I hurting you?"

Swooping back down, Cloud resumed the hard sucking, at a faster rate.

"Nnnnooooo, bbbbuuutttt…" Leon's latent prudery came to the fore.

Frustrated, Cloud stopped again. "For the love of Shiva, Squall! If it doesn't hurt, and it feels pleasurable to you, then lay back and enjoy it."

Glaring hard, Leon pouted, but continued to keep his thighs open.

XXX

Lurid slurping sounds combated with rising moans.

Preoccupied by the fervent oral stimulation, Leon didn't notice Cloud introducing a finger into his body.

When Cloud's finger discovered Leon's prostate, Leon screamed. Lower body convulsing, with a hard jerk. "Oh! Whuh? What did you do?"

Cloud sipped the weeping head, of Leon's erection, while his finger continued its actions. "I found your prostate, My Light. A little gland, located in your beautiful body, which now belongs to me."

Cloud punctuated this statement, by rubbing the now claimed prostate gland, in earnest. Swallowing around Leon's pulsing member, he sucked farther down, than he ever did before.

Leon's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Open mouth kept busy, with little screams, of rising ecstasy.

With the introduction, of a second grinding finger, Leon completely forgot, about holding his thighs up. Grabbing on to Cloud's hair, with both hands, he cried for more.

The pull on Cloud's head hurt a little, but he ignored the pain, sensing the home stretch.

Deciding Kitten had suffered enough, Cloud rammed a third finger into Leon's hot, tight passage. Rubbing hard, against the gland, he widened the canal even further.

Leon's body thrashed wildly on the bed. The small screams rising to high wails.

When his orgasm hit, Leon screamed so hard, his voice broke. He held Cloud's head down. Body convulsing, with each spurt.

Gulping every drop, Cloud thirsted for more, relishing in the taste of his Light.

Ascertaining he had drained Leon dry, Cloud raised himself onto his knees. Licking his lips, he picked up the small bottle, which had almost fallen off the bed. Flipping the top, he squirted more lubrication onto his palm.

Gazing down, at Leon's shivering frame, a lust-filled Cloud rubbed lubrication around his erection. Wiping the excess on a stolen towel, from the communal washroom, he crawled back up between lean, muscular legs.

XXX

After his orgasm, Leon fell back on the bed, feeling like a wrung out old rag. Closing his eyes, he attempted to get his breathing back in order.

Feeling like his heart would explode from his chest, Leon reopened his eyes. He spied Cloud fisting lubrication over his erection, readying the member to enter Leon's virgin body.

Leon's eyes became glued to Cloud's groin.

Feeling his own penis twitch, with anticipation, Leon never thought he would be turned on, by the sight of another man's erection.

Tilting his head, Leon's brain brimmed, with confusion.

Leon knew Cloud planned to stick the thing inside him. However, he was pretty sure the large member would never fit.

When a purring Cloud crawled back up, Leon welcomed him with open arms.

With no signs of growing Darkness, and Cloud's eyes remaining somewhat dim, Leon felt safe.

The couple resumed the licking and kissing worship of each other, until Cloud couldn't stand the tension anymore.

Cloud had to make Leon truly his. "How flexible are you?"

Smiling, Leon quirked an eyebrow. "You serious?"

Cloud didn't smile back. "It's important."

"I can place both knees, behind my head, and cross my ankles"

This time Cloud quirked an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

Pushing Cloud away, Leon quickly demonstrated. Yes, he was serious.

"Well, I guess this shouldn't be a problem then." Placing one of Leon's legs over each shoulder, Cloud bent forward, so he could rest his weight on his forearms.

Staring straight into Leon's love-filled eyes, Cloud penetrated his Light for the first time. Seeing Leon wince, when he pushed the head through, he immediately stopped.

Leon grit his teeth. "No, dammit! I'm not made of glass! Just do it!"

Frowning, Cloud nodded. Exhaling, he shoved the whole shaft in to the root.

Fingers clutching, in pain, a stiffened Leon left deep, red furrows in Cloud's arms, which instantly healed. Mouth open in a silent scream. Tears ran, from the sides of his eyes, wetting the hair splayed on the pillow.

Keeping hips stable, Cloud brushed trails of soft butterfly kisses around Leon's face, licking away the tears. "Squall, talk to me, Baby. You okay?"

Tightening sinewy thigh muscles, a growling Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud's neck. "For fuck's sake, Cloud, MOVE!"

Plumping Leon's lips, with the deepest kiss possible, Cloud moved. He began with a few experimental thrusts, until he heard a small, surprised scream.

Relieved he had found Leon's prostate again, Cloud focused his thrusts to that area.

Listening intently, Cloud searched for any signs of pain or distress.

On the contrary, Leon met all of Cloud's thrusts with moans, screams, and admonitions. "Harder, Cloud! Oh Gods! Fuck me harder! So good! Ah! It's so good!"

The Dominant Beast, inside Cloud, roared in triumph. Beautiful delicious Light. No matter, if his mate begged or pleaded, in the future, he would never let Kitten go.

Sooner than he would have liked, Cloud felt his lower belly tighten, signaling his orgasm. "Squall, masturbate, while I thrust. I want you to come with me."

Nodding , he understood, Leon released one of his arms, from the death-grip around Cloud's neck. Wrapping the hand around his own rock-hard erection, he rubbed himself, in concert, with Cloud's pounding.

The sweet sight put Cloud into a frenzy. The ramming accelerated, to an almost blinding speed. He listened for protests, but Leon screamed louder, rubbing himself faster, trying to keep up.

"Sweet Shiva, Cloud! I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Leon came, with a scream, probably heard back in Traverse Town.

Letting go, of his spurting erection, Leon wrapped his arm back around Cloud's neck.

Fist tight to begin with, the unforgiving internal walls, of Leon's rectum, gripped Cloud's erection.

Cloud actually felt his orgasm yanked out of him.

With a scream, Cloud finished with small, firm thrusts, wanting to ensure most of his sperm stayed in Leon's body.

Cloud started to fall straight down. Lucky for Leon, he remembered in time, dropping instead to his left.

Quivering legs, resting back on the bed, Leon stared at the ceiling, catching his breath. He did it. He had become one with Cloud. He hadn't been raped and his bones remained whole.

Leon smiled, with satisfaction, until he attempted to move. Grimacing, he wrinkled his nose. "Cloud?"

"Yeah, Squall?"

"Did you have to come so much? It feels sort of gross inside me."

"Well, that's what happens, when I don't wear a condom."

"It's so much, though. I'm a guy. I know this isn't normal."

"Normal for a SOLDIER."

"Huh? Why?"

"Remember what I said before, about Mommy plus SOLDIER makes baby SOLDIER?"

Leon thought back. His warm smile returned. "Oh yeah."

"Well, the more natural SOLDIERs born. The less had to be artificially produced, using regular volunteers."

"So this is all about cost-efficiency?"

Cloud embraced Leon tight. "What can I say? Shin-Ra was, above all, a business."

"Cloud?"

Cloud yawned, already falling asleep. "Yeah, Squall?"

"You had some fucked-up employers."

Yawning again, Cloud hugged Leon even closer, breathing in his scent. "Yep. We never got our very own flying battle fortresses."

"With cafeteria and library." Leon murmured, falling into a well-earned deep sleep.

"Ah yes, My Light. Can't forget the cafeteria and the library."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter turned out nothing like I had first envisioned it. Originally published 10/27/08. Revised 4/8/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Run fast dark chocobo! This sad lion's going to eat you up!

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall)

Warnings: Yaoi, Cid-inspired Cursing, Angst, Crying Leon, Berserker Cloud, Seducing Squall, SEX, Bored Yuffie

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 3 - Farewell For Now**

XXX

Cloud awoke the next morning to a familiar pounding at the door.

Already knowing what awaited him, Cloud stealthily disengaged himself from Leon's unconscious embrace. Slipping out of bed, he shucked his pants on, and made his silent way towards the poor abused door. Unlocking the door, he flung the entrance open quick, trying not to tear the wood off its hinges.

Catching the Great Ninja, who had been leaning against the door she pounded on, Cloud closed the door, being silent, while covering her mouth. "I know I'm asking for the impossible, but try to remember the ninja you're supposed to be, and BE QUIET. Leon's still sleeping and he's had a hard night."

Yuffie, who had started squealing when she realized the person to be Cloud, glanced over to her sleeping "big brother," and nodded her head in agreement.

Yuffie hadn't said anything before, but she had noticed, in the past weeks, Leon becoming more and more stressed with the increasing bad news coming from Traverse Town. She felt ecstatic when Leon told her yesterday about his "marriage" to Cloud. But with the knowledge that the pair had to leave today without Cloud, and weren't going to see him again for awhile, she knew she had to be supportive for Leon more than ever.

"I just came by to tell Leon that Phil booked and paid for our Gummi flight back to Traverse Town. But the ship's scheduled to leave in two hours, and another one won't be coming for another week." Yuffie gave another glance over to Leon. What she saw broke her heart.

Leon had awoken right when Cloud left his embrace. He knew Yuffie's pounding almost like Cloud did and had decided to ignore the sound. When he heard Yuffie's loud whispered information, he couldn't help himself. The former Ice Prince of Balamb Garden began to cry.

The Gods asked too much from him. Leon had experienced Paradise with Cloud for all of two days; now the couple had to be separated for, Hyne knows, how long.

Cloud's darkness seemed nowhere near under control.

With the imminent arrival of the Keyblader, Leon knew circumstances would only get worse. Everything inside of him screamed to stay with Cloud. He felt afraid, with them being separated, that something horrible would happen to Cloud, and he wouldn't find out until Phil sent him a message.

"Don't cry, Squallie. Please don't cry." Disengaging herself from Cloud, Yuffie made her way to Leon faster than the blink of an eye. She hugged him tight, kissing the side of his head. This just seemed to make Leon cry harder.

Cloud witnessed all this with a stony expression. Leon's crying pulled his whole being into a frenzy. He could do nothing to rectify the situation.

Cloud knew that the hastened departure had been all Hades' doing. He also knew Leon had to leave, so he could complete his part of the deal. But having finally tasted and rested in his Light's embrace, he acknowledged to himself, once Leon got on that Gummi Ship back to Traverse Town, his Darkness would run rampant.

Even now, just seeing an innocent Yuffie holding his sobbing Light, the Beast inside him rose to the fore. Cloud closed his eyes, which he felt probably lighted up the room with their glow. He took deep breaths, inhaling both Leon and Yuffie's scents in.

The Beast fed by the Darkness identified its mate. The other scent, old but familiar…. Cloud reminded the Beast who the scent belonged to. "_Yuffie. Yuffie is little sister. All right little sister hold Light. No hurt Yuffie. Hurt Yuffie would hurt Light. Smell tears. Light's tears. Tear little sister off Light. Comfort Light._

Hearing growling behind her, the hairs on the back of Yuffie's neck stood straight up.

While keeping a tight hold of a miserable Leon, Yuffie looked behind her to see Cloud standing stiff, with fists clenched; eyes closed tight. In between growls, he took in deep gulps of air. The Darkness seeming an almost solid presence behind him. "Sqqquuuaalll? Whuuhhhttts wrrrroooong wiiiitth Clllouddd?"

Sensing Yuffie's fear, more than hearing her, Leon opened his tear-filled eyes to gaze at a Cloud losing control.

Sitting up slow, Leon put his arms around Yuffie, hoping Cloud wouldn't attack her.

Cloud's eyes shot open. Their irises ablaze with blue fire. The growling increased.

Leon felt like he had just made a very stupid mistake. "Yuffie, don't make any sudden moves. Slowly get a hi-potion and pour it into my mouth."

Yuffie reached into the little pocket in her shorts. Getting a hi-potion, she uncorked the glass, pouring the fluid into Leon's mouth. She accomplished this only through her ninja skills. Her hands shook so hard.

Thankfully, the hi-potion worked fast. Leon's back and butt stopped hurting enough so he could move. "Yuffie, I'm going to get up now. Stay behind me all the way. When we get to the door, get out, quick as you can. I'll meet you at the Gummi hangar when it's time to leave."

"Bbbbuuutttt Llllleeeeooonnn…!" Yuffie began to wail-whisper.

"Don't argue with me! I swear I'll be fine. Right now, the one person in danger here's you."

Yuffie didn't say anything, but Leon felt her head nod against his shoulder.

Leon got up, pulling Yuffie behind him. He made sure to keep full eye contact with Cloud so Cloud's sole attention stayed on him. He surreptitiously backed Yuffie up to the door.

Leon held his breath, feeling the draft on his naked backside, when Yuffie hurriedly opened the door. He didn't let the air out until he heard the door slam shut behind her.

XXX

With the way Cloud glared at him, Leon should have been terrified.

The soft and gentle Cloud from last night no longer remained. He had been replaced with an enraged Mako-enhanced Beast of the Darkness.

Leon should have sped away with Yuffie, even though he stood nude as the day he was born. Instead, he felt inexplicably and completely turned on.

With the increasing volume of Cloud's growling, Leon felt his groin tighten and his penis start to rise.

Cloud's glowing eyes shifted downward to Leon's crotch. His nostrils flared.

Leon gingerly walked towards Cloud with arms opened wide. When he got close enough to Cloud, to smell the lust wafting off of the Beast, he tilted his head back slow, baring his neck submissively to his mate before him.

Before Leon knew what happened, Cloud threw him back on the bed. Tearing his own pants off, he threw Leon's legs, one by one, over each shoulder, entering Leon with one thrust.

Lucky, for Leon, some of Cloud's semen from the night before eased the way. He still felt, though, like Cloud tore him in two. The pain felt immense. However, the pain became interspersed with shots of pleasure, whenever Cloud inadvertently rubbed against Leon's prostate, with his frenzied thrusting.

Attempting to meet every one of Cloud's wild thrusts with one of his own, Leon gazed into his mate's electric blue eyes. He tried to somehow telegraph to Cloud, through his steady look, all of the love he felt for him.

Unlocking his arms from around Cloud's neck, Leon grabbed Cloud's face, bringing him down for a rough kiss that drew blood.

Mouths separating for air, the couple took turns lapping at each other's bloodied lips.

Wanting to be with Cloud as much as possible before he had to leave, Leon brought one of his hands down and began to masturbate in time to Cloud's thrusts.

Concentrating hard, even though the act proved physically painful, Leon began to clench his anal muscles hard whenever he could, around Cloud's penis, so Cloud would come quicker. "Harder, Cloud! Do it harder! Make me come!

Cloud began to pound into Leon harder, groaning and growling.

"Ah! Ah! Gods! It hurts! Make me come! Make me come! Ah! Ah! N-Ah!" Leon feeling himself start to come, bent slightly forward, fisting himself harder.

"Shiva! I'm coming! I'm coming!" The fluid shot out, hitting Leon's stomach and chest.

Cloud leaned down, while still thrusting, licking up all the semen he could reach.

Releasing his still spurting penis, Leon wrapped his arms back around Cloud's neck, pulling his head down, so he could whisper begging into his ear. "Cloud. Come inside me. Fill me up like before. Make me feel full. I'll be so empty without you. Fill me up so I have something for later."

Leon licked Cloud's ear, biting the earlobe to punctuate the declaration. He then refocused all his concentration on clenching his anal muscles hard, in concert, with Cloud's demanding thrusts.

Hearing his Light's impassioned plea, feeling the increasing tightness around his penis, all proved too much for Cloud.

With a roar, that made everybody else inside the inn panic, and draw their weapons, Cloud came hard into Leon, holding jerking hips flush against his posterior so that none of the sperm would go to waste.

Leon winced, drawing swift air through clenched teeth. The fluid burned. Oh Shiva! How it burned; when the semen entered his body, flowing through his bowels.

Enduring the pain, Leon marveled at how much Cloud came inside him. He could actually feel his lower stomach start to swell.

Feeling like Leon's body had sucked up his very soul, Cloud haphazardly fell sideways to the left, with most of his upper body weight resting on the bed.

Leon stared up at the ceiling, catching his breath, and rubbing his lower tummy. He lay, in awe, of all that had transpired; since Yuffie had slammed the door closed, in her rush to depart from Cloud's rage.

XXX

Cloud's attempt to pull himself out of Leon's body brought him back to reality.

In a flash, Leon locked his legs around Cloud's lower torso to keep him from completing the action. He drew Cloud back around, so he could see how he felt; if he had helped in any way.

Thankfully, Cloud's eyes had returned to their normal dim glow. The Darkness receding when Cloud had come inside Leon.

Leon read the shame in Cloud's face over his earlier loss of control. He took Cloud's face in between his hands. Drawing Cloud back down, he gave him a soft, deep kiss.

Releasing Cloud's head, Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud's neck. He smiled bright, so Cloud would think him okay, even though his butt screamed for mercy. "Don't you dare apologize. I wanted this and I still want you."

Cloud shook his head; again trying to pull out of Leon. "Squall, I tore you. I could smell your blood. I can tell you're in pain. I don't want to hurt you more than I already have. Let go so I can pull out. We have to take care of that before you leave."

Leon tightened his grip around Cloud's neck. Thigh and calf muscles tightened their hold around Cloud's lower torso. His ass shrieked in dismay.

Leon, knowing that he wouldn't see Cloud for a long time, if ever again, calmly told his ass to shut up. "Before I leave you, you mean."

Cloud stopped trying to fight Leon's hold. Hanging his head, he refused to look into Leon's searching gaze. "Our last time together shouldn't have been this rough. I'm sorry."

Leon drew a nonresistant Cloud deeper into his embrace. He gave him a small kiss, followed by a nose nuzzle. "Then let's not let that be our last. We still have plenty of time before I have to leave you. Love me again, Cloud. I'm ready."

Cloud reared back in surprise and looked down.

In fact, Leon looked quite ready and dripping.

Cloud's eyes once again began to glow hot with blue fire.

Leon felt Cloud's erection start to thicken and throb inside his body.

Smiling serene, like a lion who just ate a chocobo, Leon pulled Cloud back down; once again telling his wailing ass to shut up and enjoy it.

XXX

A sluggish Leon awoke to Cloud rubbing him down with clean, damp towels. "Any towels left in the whole inn?"

Cloud shrugged, not looking into Leon's eyes, and continued to wipe him down. "I know you would want to be clean before you left, but I'm not letting anyone see you in this state."

Leon attempted to sit up, flinching in pain, before Cloud laid a hand on his chest to keep him down. "What state would that be?"

Cloud carefully wiped Leon's face, pausing to run a gentle finger over Leon's tender scar that ran between his eyebrows. "Beautifully debauched."

Leon smirked, wrinkling his nose like a naughty kitten who got caught. "I thought you would enjoy seeing this side of me."

Cloud put the towel he held down. He got up to retrieve something from a hidden pocket in his cape. "I do. But only I can see this side of you. Anyone else dies."

Cloud stated this in a joking way; the brief flare of Darkness that surrounded his body told Leon the truth. "Got a present for me?"

Cloud walked back and handed the minuscule flask to Leon. He picked up a new damp towel and began to clean Leon's lower body.

Seeing what Cloud gave him, Leon shook his head, attempting to give the flask back to Cloud. "Cloud. I don't need an elixir. A hi-potion would work fine."

Cloud finished wiping down Leon's front crotch area. Dropping that towel, he picked up another damp towel, and began on Leon's right leg. "Squall, just drink it."

"No! No! Elixirs are so expensive. A hi-potion's just fine for me."

Cloud slowly put Leon's leg down. Looking to the side, he gave a big sigh.

While still sharply protesting, Leon felt his head grabbed.

Giving him a fierce kiss, Cloud stole Leon's breath and argument away.

"Kitten, the Gummi ship will be leaving in fifteen minutes. Without the elixir, you won't be able to walk. If we don't leave soon, I'll try to fuck you unconscious all over again." Cloud pleaded into Leon's confused eyes.

Pouting, Leon lowered his gaze in dismay.

Cloud couldn't resist, giving Leon another light kiss, which he deepened, placing his hands over Cloud's.

Feeling himself start to lose control again, Cloud wrenched himself away from Leon. "Squall! Stop!"

Cloud stood up and staggered towards the door. All the while, attempting to get his breathing back under control. He stopped when he came to the closed door. "I'll meet you in the lobby. Shiva knows what Yuffie could be doing at the Gummi Hangar, while she's waiting for us. Kitten, drink the elixir."

Leon knew he shouldn't do this. But he wasn't thinking rational, he felt with his heart.

After downing the elixir, Leon got up, padding stealthily, barefoot and nude, over to Cloud's stiffening back.

Wrapping his arms around Cloud's waist from behind, Leon pressed his body flush against Cloud's back, rubbing his crotch against Cloud's ass. "Won't you at least kiss me goodbye, before we go out into public?"

Releasing a fearsome growl, Cloud turned so quick that Leon's skin received a slight Indian burn.

Grabbing him by the ass, Cloud gave Leon a repeat of the kiss he had been given back in the Coliseum atrium; right before Cloud killed the Hydra, and Leon fell in love with him.

Like before, once the kiss ended, Cloud left Leon on his knees, breathing harsh, tasting Cloud's tongue in a bloodied mouth.

Cloud, on the other hand, was long gone.

XXX

Yuffie hated waiting! Waiting felt soooo agonizingly boring.

With no Materia for her to "find" or "borrow," the Great Ninja lay dying a thousand slow deaths inside the Gummi hangar.

Gods! How she missed Materia ! The shining, multi-colored balls of happiness that had rocked her world. Materia, the great love of her life, along with her planet, had been lost to the Darkness.

Yuffie shook her head. If she looked back on all she had lost to the Darkness, she would just shrivel up and die inside.

Yuffie refused to give up. She would honor her father, Godo, and the brave people of Wutai by fighting the Darkness with every Great Ninja skill that she had. She had shed her copious tears on Cid's cantankerous, but caring, shoulder, and resolutely moved on.

Instead of the Great Hunt for Materia, Yuffie had a new mission. She would help fight the ultimate fight against the Darkness, by diligently patrolling Traverse Town, and killing every Heartless she could find. In the meantime, she would keep herself occupied by bugging her newest big brother, Squall, the-name's-Leon, so he wouldn't be so sad and stressed out.

Speaking of Leon, where the heck was he?

The Gummi ship for Traverse Town had been scheduled to leave in ten minutes. The ships always ran on time. If you missed your flight, you were plain out of luck until the next flight.

Hmmmm. Yuffie leaned back on the bench she sat on, frowning, and swinging her legs in deep thought.

Leon, her adopted big brother, sure was a work of art. Yep, pretty to look at, and a fierce, proud fighter, he took on way too much responsibility. He felt like he had to take care of everybody, handling everything on his own. Way too much responsibility for one person; don't try telling Leon that. He would just take on more to prove you wrong.

Yuffie bounced up onto the bench and began to twirl around. She felt SO HAPPY that Leon had hooked up with Cloud.

Yuffie had been afraid that Leon would always be alone. Even though he gave off an air of independence, she knew that Leon would never survive without the warmth of loved ones around him.

Cloud, on the other hand, seemed a true lone wolf.

However, Yuffie thought that a lone wolf still needed a mate to truly be whole. After witnessing Cloud's crazy possessiveness over a crying Leon this morning, she believed that Cloud had found his one true mate. He was still scary, though.

Yuffie plopped back down on the bench. Folding her legs up, she rested her chin on her knees.

Having extensively traveled with Cloud in the past, Yuffie realized from the first, along with the others in her group, that Cloud wasn't all that sane.

Multiple personalities, and misplaced memories notwithstanding, Cloud seemed always on the cusp of falling off the deep end. According to Cid, he was permanently cracked. Cloud's brain just changed day by day to different forms of crazy.

Yuffie giggled. She couldn't wait to see Cid again. She wouldn't admit the feeling out loud, but she missed the old fart.

Yuffie sighed, thinking back on what she had observed that morning. The Cloud that she viewed today appeared screwy like before, but now he gave off an aura of imminent danger and death.

When the team had traveled together before, Yuffie had done plenty of things to anger Cloud, most of the time the feeling had been warranted; but she had never felt like he would hurt her.

This morning, while Leon held her close, trying to protect her from an enraged Cloud, Yuffie actually thought that Cloud would attack her, and kill her on the spot for touching his mate.

Yuffie shook her head. A rare feeling of depression coming over her. She needed to touch more than she needed to breath. Cid would bitch that the one reason she always felt so huggy-huggy stemmed from her trying to steal everything she could find before a person figured her out.

That wasn't true! Well, the reason wasn't true now, since Materia didn't exist anymore.

Yuffie didn't know what she would do if she couldn't hug the people that she loved. Leon being one of the people she loved the most.

Yuffie had adopted Leon to be her big brother for a reason. He took care of her like he WAS her natural big brother.

Leon tried to protect Yuffie from anything, and everything, that could or would potentially harm her. The imminent problem being that the thing that would harm her in the future, if she forgot and hugged her much-loved brother, would be Cloud.

Yuffie kind of had an idea of what Leon had been doing these last two hours to calm Cloud down. She may be young, but she had traveled and seen a lot. She didn't want to make Leon go through that just because she was too touchy for her own good. She knew he loved Cloud, but even she could see more taking than giving on Cloud's part. Her big brother had enough on his plate without having to deal with a psychotic Cloud every day due to her forgetfulness.

Yuffie's eyebrows wrinkled in fierce concentration, trying to think of a way around this dilemma.

Heck, most problems got fixed with a quick exit or a flick of the Mighty Shuriken, but Cloud moved way faster than she ever could, and the stab of a giant shuriken would only piss him off more.

Yuffie sighed again.

Maybe Aerith would know what to do. She could always get through to Cloud, when no one else could. Perhaps with Aerith's always calming presence, Cloud wouldn't be so dark and scary. He would go back to being the Cloud Yuffie knew from so long ago.

"Passengers departing for Traverse Town. Please board the Gummi ship now. This ship will be leaving in one minute. Once again, the Gummi ship for Traverse Town will be departing in one minute."

Yuffie jumped up in a panic, frantically looking around for any sign of Leon. "Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd! What am I going to do! What am I going to do! Where the heck's Leon?"

At that moment, Yuffie saw Cloud stalk in with a stern expression on his darkening countenance.

Holding Cloud's hand, but dragging his feet, Leon followed. Lower lip sticking out, looking to all the world like a little kitten that had just gotten spanked.

Cloud, keeping his eyes focused on the ascending stairs to the Gummi ship's hatch, marched right past a gibbering, flailing Yuffie.

When he got to the foot of the stairs, Cloud swung a still-trailing Leon around.

Pulling Leon flush against his body, Cloud gave him a forceful, demanding kiss to remember him by.

Leon began to cry.

Yuffie ran by them, flying up the stairs. "Leon! The ship's leaving. We gotta go NOW!"

Leon felt Cloud stick something in his pocket. "These are for you. I'll send more when I can. You know I won't need them."

Cloud gave Leon the gentlest kiss he had ever experienced. Releasing him, he pushed Leon towards the open Gummi ship hatch. "Remember, you're My Light. I love you."

Leon stared at Cloud, trying to memorize every detail of his mate, through tear-filled eyes. Turning around, he ran up the stairs. The door slamming shut behind him, he fell limp into the seat next to Yuffie.

"What did Cloud give you?"

Frowning through his tears, Leon reached into his pocket. His hand came out holding three elixirs.

Yuffie quirked her eyebrow in confusion.

Why would the sight of elixirs turn Leon into a sobbing wreck?

Shrugging, Yuffie enveloped her big brother into the tightest hug she could muster, rocking him gently through the rest of the flight.

Cloud watched the Gummi ship depart, taking his salvation and sanity, along with his mate. Robotically, he turned around. Walking out of the Gummi hangar, he made his way to the entrance of the Underworld.

With a snarl, Cloud unfettered the starving Beast that Leon, with his unselfish love, had calmed this morning; letting the monster run free.

Just one more kill to seal the deal and Cloud would be back with his Light.

Until then, the Beast needed to feed, and Heartless always disappeared when you slaughtered them.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Lordy! This chapter was a beast! I'm completely going to ignore the Ansem Report sub-plot for KH1. (Spoiler) Most weren't written by the REAL Ansem anyway. Cue Sora, Donald, Goofy: What !?! Originally updated 11/2/08. Revised 4/8/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Lion helps Little Laguna. Chocobo gets stomped by three-headed dog. Chocobo then flies away with a One-Winged Angel.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall)

Warnings: Yaoi, Cid-inspired Cursing, Angst, KH1 Dialogue and Plot (All Disney/Square-Enix Owned), Chocobo Stomp, Foreshadowing, Sephiroth Cameo, CID!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 4 - A Keyblade, A Dog, and a One-Winged Angel**

XXX

"_They'll come at you out of nowhere. And they'll keep on coming at you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But why? Why would it choose a kid like you?"_

"_Aw, you're slipping, Leon."_

"_I went easy on him. Looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse."_

"_The Keyblade… Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you."_

"_It was the only way to conceal your heart from them, but it won't work for long. Still hard to believe that you are the chosen one."_

"_Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."_

XXX

Leon had been charitable.

Sora, the new Keyblader, could barely fight.

Leon had to walk around forever, throwing fireballs, before the kid gathered his wits enough to note the attack timing, and attempt to block and retaliate.

Cid had asked him to go easy on the kid, once he discovered this to be the fabled Keyblader.

But Leon had to put so much effort into not hurting Sora, he found the fight laughable.

Now that he knew the poor kid had just acquired the all-powerful weapon, never having had any formal training, Leon felt somewhat sorrier for the kid; but not by much.

If this kid didn't get intense training soon, the Worlds would be screwed.

For Leon, the odd kid strangely reminded him of his late father, the President of Esthar, Laguna Loire. Not only did the two hold positions of great importance over a vast amount of people, both had obtained the positions through sheer dumb luck, and no choice of their own.

Also, like Leon's late father, Sora acted like a moronic goof.

Leon wouldn't be surprised if the kid ran up to him, from where he bounced around with Yuffie, and attacked him with the Laguna-certified cootchie-cootchie treatment.

Leon had read the missive, delivered earlier to Cid, from King Mickey. The letter stated that he would be sending two envoys in search of the now-awakened Keyblader.

Leon had met King Mickey when he first arrived in Traverse Town.

The King had stared at Leon for a long time, like he could see straight into his soul. He then began to jump up and down with joy, giving him a big hug.

If Leon hadn't become used to this with Aerith and Merlin, he would have freaked out.

Cid just laughed the occurrence off. He said that King Mickey just loved to hug.

Thinking back, Leon now wondered if King Mickey had seen his future role in bringing Cloud back to the side of the Light.

This morning, Aerith, in her strange intuitive way, had stilled her knitting, while talking to Yuffie. She proclaimed that the envoys and the Keyblader had finally arrived.

Leon decided to meet the Keyblader, with Yuffie volunteering to accompany him.

Aerith declared that she would meet the King's envoys herself.

With the agreement that everyone would meet back in the First District, the trio set out to greet their respective parties.

Of course, after the fiasco of a testing battle between Leon and Sora, and subsequent bringing of the unconscious boy to the Green Room in the Hotel, for some quick informational exchange with Yuffie, the Heartless decided to attack.

After Leon had split up with Sora, returning to the First District after fighting, he discovered that Sora had fortuitously run into the King's envoys, Donald and Goofy, back in the Third District.

With the group now assembled, Donald and Goofy talked about their search for the King, who had left Disney Castle for parts unknown. The duo seemed happy to bring Sora along on their Gummi ship, so he could look for his lost friends, Riku and Kairi.

Leon, knowing, in their Gummi travels, the trio would eventually arrive at the Coliseum, vocally pushed an unsure and depressed Sora to join them.

With the accompanying encouragement of the others, Sora accepted.

Now that Leon had gotten the little doofus off on the road to survival, he just had to decide who, in the departing group, to relay the pertinent information to.

Hmmm.

Donald acted like a hot-head, with underhanded tendencies. For certain, he wouldn't do.

Goofy, on the other hand; coming across to be somewhat simple, proved to be an accomplished, able fighter. Also, in the retrieval of necessary supplies from the various shops, he had shown to have steady foresight of what would be needed for the long trip ahead.

Yes, Goofy would do just fine.

"Goofy? Can I speak with you privately before you guys leave?"

Busy arguing over their collected supplies, Donald and Sora didn't notice Goofy loping his way to Leon, standing next to the mailbox. "Sure thing, Leon. Hyuck. Watcha need?"

Leon allowed himself a quiet smile.

Goofy didn't fool the former SEED commander in the least with his dumb act.

Leon knew that the information he gave to Goofy would be noted for future use, and the safety of the whole group.

Goofy, by his mere presence, reassured Leon, that the Keyblader would make his way through the upcoming journey safe.

"In your travels, try to steer the group quickly to the Coliseum. You'll meet a satyr named Phil. He's the main trainer and bookie for the Coliseum. I know that you can tell Sora will need all the help and training he can get. Phil will make sure that Sora will be trained for whatever the Darkness has in store for him ahead."

Goofy took in all the information and gave Leon a firm nod. "No worries, Leon! Hyuck. Ain't nothing bad gonna happen to these two while I'm around!"

For a slight moment, Leon saw in Goofy's eyes the soul of an old and battle-hardened warrior. The effect dissipated and he again looked in the guileless face of a happy-go-lucky Captain of the Guard. "I know, Goofy. I know that now."

XXX

Damn poster!

Phil's bad day had already begun.

Hercules had gone to visit with his father, Zeus, up on Mt Olympus.

With Herc gone, Phil had no one to help him with the heavy lifting needed to get the Coliseum ready for the new Tournament. He shook his head in disgust. Tournament...more like a promoted slaughter-fest.

Hades had decided to eliminate the previous Tournament system.

The new Tournaments, from now on, would be almost exclusively made up of Heartless and Darkness-powered warriors. Except for the existing warriors already under contract, warriors of the Light would no longer be contracted, under any circumstances.

Hmph. Phil had some good prospects lined up, too.

Phil's day darkened even more, when he received the message about the ensuing arrival of the Keyblader, and the King's envoys.

Leon's information came off extremely depressing, to say the least. The future of the Worlds depended on some snot-nosed rookie, a duck, and a humanoid dog? Heh. It would take more than hard training to ensure the kid's survival against the Heartless.

Lucky, Leon would be sending them to the right place and, in Phil's humble opinion, the best trainer in all the Worlds.

Dang! This poster just won't stay up!

Phil shook his sad head to himself at the thought of Leon, all alone, back in Traverse Town.

Leon and Cloud would send each other constant letters, to keep in touch.

However, Leon would also request follow-ups from Phil on how Cloud fared.

If he wasn't going to be sent to Purgatory before, Phil would be going now, for all the lies he wrote to Leon about Cloud.

Since Leon left, Cloud had become almost completely consumed by the Darkness. Strange enough, he had also become the Coliseum's main draw. The reason wasn't because of his fighting skills.

To Phil, the rounds weren't fights at all. Out of pure desperation, he would throw the biggest, most brutal creatures that the Darkness had created against Cloud, to keep him appeased.

Cloud would tear them apart. Blood and gore flying everywhere. The Coliseum crowds couldn't get enough of the spectacle.

Phil felt sick to see what had become of Cloud, since Leon had been forced to go back to Traverse Town.

Leon had become suspicious of the increasing amounts of munny being sent to him from Cloud's cut of the box office receipts. He wrote to Phil, asking if maybe he needed to come back, to be with Cloud.

Phil would write back to tell him no. He knew that Traverse Town barely held on, in wake of the ever increasing waves of Heartless. Leon's sword would be needed there.

Phil knew, that if Leon found out what Cloud had become, he would drop everything, taking the first Gummi flight back to the Coliseum. He felt certain that Traverse Town would fall to the Heartless without Leon's leadership.

With all that, Phil still had to worry about what Hades had in his plans.

Because of Hades, Cloud had been separated from his Light, to be slowly consumed by the Darkness. He had to complete one final contract before he could make his way back to Leon.

Phil felt the contract would be to kill Hercules.

Hercules had the powers of a Demi-God and proved to be a damn good fighter to boot.

But Cloud showed himself to be the toughest fighter Phil had ever seen, he also had his future with Leon to strengthen his will.

Herc may have the Light on his side, but Cloud fought for Love.

Phil realized that Love always won out, be the battle against the Light or the Darkness.

Phil finally got the poster to stay up when he felt a presence behind him. "Good timing. Give me a hand, will ya? Move that pedestal over there for me. I gotta spruce this place up for the games."

"It's way too heavy!"

"What? Too heavy! Since when have you been such a little-… Oh. Wrong guy." To Phil's shocked psyche, truer words had never been spoken.

In Phil's opinion, looking now at the real deal, Leon had been polite, to the point of lying, about Sora and his companions.

Yep, Phil's day just went from bad to worse.

XXX

"That little punk is your next opponent, okay? Now, don't blow it. Just take him out."

"The great God of the Underworld is afraid of a kid? Sorry, but my contract says-"

"I know! You think I don't know? I wrote the contract! I know it says you're only required to kill Hercules in the tournament. But you've gotta fight that kid to get to him. Come on. It's like that old goat says: Rule 11: It's all just a game, so let loose and have fun with it! I mean a casualty or two along the way is no big deal, right?"

Cloud walked away before the Beast inside of him answered Hades.

Leon had written to Cloud, of Sora, when the trio left Traverse Town. He wrote of the kid's inexperience, requesting that Cloud look after the kid, when he arrived at the Coliseum. A favor to his Light.

With speed, Cloud had written back, pledging that he would make sure that the kid would be trained properly against the Heartless. He swore on his love to Leon that Sora would be okay.

Now Hades wanted Cloud to kill Sora. Cloud knew the order to be just an excuse. He didn't need to kill Sora to kill Hercules and fulfill his part of the contract.

Sora stood in the way of whatever Hades planned for the future.

Well, Cloud didn't care.

Cloud's contract specifically stated that he only needed to kill Hercules to fulfill his part of the deal. He would then be released, so he could return to his Light, whom he missed with every part of his being.

Even the Beast inside missed Leon, the slaughtering of Heartless had appeased its hunger for awhile, but nothing could sate the lust better than the physical love of his Light.

When Cloud's round against Sora began, Cloud fought enough, so the fight looked like a realistic battle, without Sora becoming too banged up.

By repeating the pledge that he had made to Leon in his head, Cloud kept the Beast, fed by the Darkness, barely under control.

Brooding about the incident later, Cloud could only come up with that one excuse to explain how he could be blindsided, and stomped on, by a three-headed dog, named Cerberus.

Lucky for Cloud's pride, he had lost consciousness, when his head had been crushed. He would have helped in the fight that followed, except that his whole head had to be rebuilt by his enhancements. By the time the reconstruction had been completed, the fight had been won.

Cloud later sat down, to brood, near the exit. He had kept his pledge to his Light, and Sora lived, but Hades had shown his true colors, betraying him.

Cloud now considered the contract with Hades null and void. He knew Hades would never give him the information he needed about Sephiroth. Also, with the information that Phil had received from Sora about Traverse Town, he realized that Leon had been coating his letters with a heavy silver lining.

Cloud's Light desperately needed him, in Traverse Town, to help in the fight with the Heartless.

In addition, Cloud's Beast purred inside, Kitten had been naughty, lying to him in all his letters. He would be due for a spanking, whenever Cloud could catch the next Gummi flight back to Traverse Town.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Cloud looked up into a pair of innocent big, blue eyes that should never see the horror that the Darkness could wreak. So confident. So full of hope. So trusting. Sora reminded him so much of Leon that his chest hurt.

"Yeah"

"So why did you go along with him anyway?"

"I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of Darkness, but it backfired. I fell into Darkness and I couldn't find the Light."

The pain of his past folly became too much for Cloud. He felt the all-consuming need to go back down to the Underworld to feed the Beast.

Cloud got up to leave, so the poor child wouldn't be traumatized, by seeing a true Beast of the Darkness.

"You'll find it. I'm searching too."

Cloud paused in his retreat. "For your Light? Don't lose sight of it."

Cloud smiled inside his head. His search now over. He needed only to return to his Light.

Looking back to Sora, Cloud gave him a keychain encoded with the Sonic Blade ability. Remembering how Sora fought in the tournament, he would be needing the move bad.

Cloud then began to make his way to the Underworld.

"How about a rematch sometime? Fair and square, no dark powers involved!"

Cloud actually thought about the offer. He could just use the basic moves he learned, while he had been a Shinra infantryman. No. He would still kick Sora's ass and his Light would never forgive him. The fight would have been fun, though.

Cloud turned back to the Keyblader with a flick of his hair. "I think I'll pass."

XXX

Leon felt frantic.

Sora had run into the Secret Waterway, after much traveling, giving Leon a soggy glomp. He commented about finding and locking Keyholes, which seemed all fine and dandy. The next little tidbit almost made Leon accidentally slice Sora in half with a practice swing. "Oh, Aerith! We met a guy named Cloud at the Coliseum. He said he knew you guys and to say Hi! He said that he had to finish up a few things and he'd catch up with everyone when he finished."

"That's nice, Sora. Umm. By the way, how did he seem?"

"Oh, he's a little dark and scary, but he's a great fighter! Oh, and he got the most awesome healing abilities! While we fought, Cloud got totally stomped on by this three-headed dog named Cerberus! The dog crushed his head like an egg. It was REALLY gross! But while we were looking, his head just grew right back! It was the coolest thing ever!

Leon kept on swinging his sword.

Yep. Swing that sword.

Cloud healed right up. He would be fine.

Head had been crushed into messy goo, but it "grew right back."

Oh Gods! Leon felt like he would throw up.

Take a deep breath.

Swing the sword.

You're the leader. You can't lose it. Don't scare Sora. He's just a little boy. He wouldn't understand.

Leon felt Aerith's reassuring hand against his back. Her healing touch calming him from the inside out. "Sora? Why don't you go meet with Cid. He said that he had something for you to deliver. Leon and I will meet you later in the small house located in the Third District. Okay?"

"Y'okay, Aerith. See ya later, Leon!"

Leon nodded to Sora, and the others, while swinging his sword.

Aerith waited, until she couldn't hear the splashing of the departing group anymore, before she attempted to talk to Leon. "Cloud's all right. Sora said he healed right up. It will take more than a big doggy to bring Cloud down. You know that. Right, Leon?"

Leon dropped Lionheart with a sob, covering his face with gloved hands. "Oh, Gods, Aerith! Cloud's so far away. I feel that more than ever! He had his head completely crushed and I didn't even know! I'm his mate and he didn't even tell me in his letters. I knew neither he nor Phil told me the whole truth. This just proves it. He's being destroyed by the Darkness from the inside out. There's nothing I can do about it here!"

Aerith turned Leon around to face her, gently moving his hands away from his face. She waited until he returned her calm, steady, gaze.

"Cloud will be returning to us very soon, once Sora closes all the Keyholes. Much hardship will come to pass, but Cloud will always return to his Light. The two of you will be together again. I promise. A big sister never lies to her little brother, remember?"

Leon smiled a little, enclosing Aerith in a tight hug, which she gladly returned. "Aer, I know all about these special healing abilities you have. But the way that you have about foretelling our futures; where does that come from?"

Aerith gave a little giggle. "Let's just say a little puppy tells me."

"Puppy?"

Leon felt Aerith nod against his chest. "Mmmhmmm. In fact, you'll be meeting this little puppy in the future. He'll make you and Cloud very happy and bring Light to many people's lives."

Leon laughed at the thought. "So we're going to have a puppy in the future."

"Oh, definitely."

"Well, how soon?"

Aerith full-out started laughing, doing a little dance in Leon's arms. "Not as soon as HE would like. Come along now. We have to meet Sora at the small house."

Leon wanted to ask more questions. But he knew, when his "big sister" changed the subject, he wasn't going to get anymore answers until she gave them.

Leon sighed. After bending down to pick up Lionheart, he followed Aerith out of the Secret Waterway.

XXX

Hades felt furious. So what if he backtracked a little on the deal? Don't cry over crushed heads, he always said.

However, both Hercules and the Keyblader lived.

Cloud also informed Hades flat out that their business with each other ended with his betrayal. He would be leaving tonight to be with his Light.

Well! Hades rubbed his hands together. There wouldn't be any happy endings while he lived! Time to inform a hidden guest of a loose chocobo, the guest had been searching for, who needed a quick and long overdue beheading.

Cloud had packed up all his gear; getting ready to leave, when he received a message from Phil to meet him in the fighting arena. He thought the missive a little odd, but Phil wouldn't have had enough time to send his last winnings back to Leon.

Cloud smiled. His Light would be so pleased with all the munny he would be bringing home for their family.

Oh, and the elixirs, the Beast inside growled with lustful remembrance. Can't forget the elixirs.

Cloud walked into the fighting arena. He felt his heart stop, seeing a black feather lazily drift to the ground, slowly followed by two familiar boots.

Cloud gazed up into the cold, cat eyes of his greatest foe, Sephiroth. "So we meet at last."

Sephiroth smirked, reaching out with his Darkness, to weaken Cloud further. "I was searching for you too."

Cloud winced. Thinking of his Light, Leon, he fought back against the Darkness, emanating from Sephiroth. "As long as you exist, I can't wake from the nightmare. You are my Darkness."

Sephiroth's eyes slightly widened, wondering where Cloud found this new strength. No matter. This newfound power would do him no good in the end. "If that's so, I shall draw you into the Darkness. Into the nightmare that forever deprives you of the Light, from which you can never awaken."

The combatants raised their swords.

The energy build-up crackled throughout the fighting arena.

Like a hidden signal had sounded, the two foes both charged at once.

First Tsurugi and Masamune met in the middle with a violent clash.

The duo traded furious blows with no weaknesses being shown. With a crash of power, the warriors separated.

Cloud, strengthened by his Light's never-ending love, which he felt even now, once again attacked Sephiroth.

Sephiroth, confused by Cloud's ever-growing strength, dodged the attack by jumping high into the air.

Cloud immediately flew up to follow him.

Their swords met once again in a ferocious clash, giving off a blinding light.

When the light faded, the two combatants had disappeared. The fighting arena stood empty.

XXX

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had returned to regroup in Traverse Town, meeting with everyone in the small house in the Third District. The three had miraculously escaped from Hollow Bastion with their skins intact.

Leon figured that Sora had the same dumb luck that his father, Laguna, once had, getting out of scrapes that would kill anyone else.

The group had been successful in bringing back Sora's friend, Kairi.

When Leon asked about his other friend Riku, Sora began to cry, stating that his friend had been lost to the Darkness, and had now become possessed.

Leon registered how Sora reacted about rescuing Kairi, he then thought about how Sora broke down about his friend Riku.

Discreetly moving a bawling Sora away from the rest of the group, Leon decided to see if his theory panned out. "Umm, Sora? How do you feel about Riku?"

Sora stopped bawling enough, to sniff loudly, and scratch the back of his head. "Watcha mean, Leon? Riku's my best friend. I love him."

Leon sighed, thinking about how to phrase the next question. "Yes, Sora. But do you love Riku like a best friend or do you LOVE Riku?"

Leon emphasized the word Love to Sora by raising his eyebrows, and folding his arms across his chest, in a no-nonsense manner.

Sora kept on scratching the back of his head, in confusion. Then his eyes got really big.

Quickly twisting his arms behind his back, Sora blushed bright red. "Well, Riku and me started to talk about how we felt, while we were alone in the Secret Cave, back on Destiny Island, right before the Heartless attacked. We never finished our discussion, though."

Leon tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow. "What stopped you guys?"

"Weeeellllll. Riku told me that he liked me more than he could ever like Kairi. I was gonna tell him that I felt the same, but then something happened."

"What happened, Sora?"

Sora looked up, with tear-filled eyes, looking like he would start crying again. "My leg cramped up."

Leon couldn't help his reaction. He just couldn't. The feelings became too much. He began to laugh hysterically and cry at the same time.

Sora stared in shock. He didn't know what to do. He thought about what his Mom did when he cried, beginning to rub Leon's back. "Uh, Leon? You gonna be okay? You're kinda scaring me. Leon? Please say you're gonna be okay."

Able to gasp in enough air, Leon generated a reply to a rapidly freaking-out Keyblader. "Ha! Guh! Huh! I'll be okay, Sora. More than okay."

After getting his breathing back under control, Leon stood up straight, regaining his composure; much to the relief of a panicked Sora.

Looking down to Sora, Leon reassured him with a soft smile, and a strong hand on the shoulder. "You just reminded me of someone I loved very much, but I never told him until it was too late. In a way, that's why I pried into your relationship with Riku. Take it from me, Sora. If you love someone, let them know as soon as you can. Remind them every day of that love. You never know when they could be taken away from you."

Sora rewarded Leon with a familiar, goofy smile that made his heart ache with memories. "Don't worry, Leon! I'm going back to Hollow Bastion and get Riku back! I really love him and I'm going to tell the idiot when I see him again."

Leon became scared for Sora.

The Keyhole stood open at Hollow Bastion. Darkness pouring from the entrance. Stronger Heartless spread across the Worlds. For the kid to go back would be plain suicide.

Strengthening the hold on Sora's shoulder, Leon returned his smile. He wouldn't worry about Sora. "Don't worry, Sora. If anyone can save your friend, you can."

Sora had the luck of Laguna Loire on his side. He would be just fine.

XXX

Sora left, soon after, to retrieve Riku from Hollow Bastion, and close the last Keyhole.

When the group returned to Cid's shop, Cid had an announcement to make, to all and sundry. He declared that he would be closing-up the shop in Traverse Town, moving the whole kit-and-kaboodle to, of all places, Hollow Bastion.

Yuffie, of course, got her voice back first. Jumping up onto the counter, dodging Cid's customary swat, she waved her arms in indignation. "Old man, have you finally gone senile?

"First of all, fuck you, brat! Second of all, Ah may be senile, but Ah ain't dead! Ah've come to realize, with Sora's tales, that Ah've been doin' fuck-all to help the war-effert here in Traverse Town. All's Ah've been doin' is hidin' mah ass and lickin' mah wounds. Cid Highwind ain't goin' out that way! Ah'm goin' straight to wherever them bastards are shittin' out of, and pluggin' that hole right up with the ol' Venus Gospel! If Ah die? Ah die, but Ah'll be takin' a shit-load of them little fuckers with me!" Cid stopped ranting, looking morosely around at his little shop. "With this here set-up, Ah'm dyin' a slow death anyway."

Aerith stepped forward. Hands folded in front of her. "Oh Cid, we had no idea you felt this way. You should told us."

Cid looked down. Hands on hips, he shrugged resigned. "Wasn't gonna say nothin'. Jest sittin' here's become too much for the Captain. Only so much smokin' and tea-drinkin' a man can do befer he hasta take action! You kids gotcha whole lives ahead of yer. Can't ask ya to come with this old man. You kids stay here. Hold down the fort.

Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie all looked at each other, giving a collective nod of agreement.

With Sora's inevitable closing of the Keyhole in Hollow Bastion, the vast influx of Heartless would be halted.

Moreover, like the Light had foreseen Cid's decision, a new police force, made up of a collection of recently arrived, battle-hardened warriors, had been set up in Traverse Town. Consequently, the waves of Heartless had trickled down to a minimum.

The family would be leaving Traverse Town in relatively safe hands.

Yuffie twirled around and pointed her finger at Cid. "Old man, You ain't going anywhere without the Great Ninja Yuffie to watch your back! Vinnie would have my hide if I left your old, senile ass alone!"

Aerith walked around the front counter and gave a shocked Cid a tight hug. "I'm going too. You know how I love a great adventure."

With a resolute nod, Leon planted his feet, folding his arms across his chest. "You're going to need someone to lead this committee. At this moment, I'm volunteering. I'm not going to take no for an answer, either."

Cid looked at each of his adopted children with tears in his eyes. Looking down, he shuffled his feet, and grunted. "Y'all fuckin' nuts and Ah luv every last fuckin' one of ya."

Yuffie jumped down off the counter, joining Aerith in hugging Cid. "Sorry, old man. That's just what happens when you get raised by the Captain."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: The main problem I had in the previous chapters was remembering that Cloud was dressed completely different in KH1. The wing alone! "I thought you looked kinda different, Cloud." So true, Donald. So true. The more I write Aerith, the more I love her. She just makes everything gel so well. Originally updated 11/05/08. Revised 4/8/09

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Chocobo crashes back down. Lion licks all better.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall)

Warnings: Yaoi, CID! & Cid-inspired Cursing, Angst, Foreshadowing, Reunion SEX (Whoa, Nelly!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 5 - Coming Home**

XXX

Cloud may have disappeared with Sephiroth in the Coliseum, but he crashed down in the main hall of Hollow Bastion Castle.

Raising himself, from the huge hole left in the entranceway, the creature had Cloud Strife's body, but the mind had become ruled by the Darkness-fed Beast.

Cloud's consciousness had gone into hiding not long after losing Sephiroth somewhere in the Darkness.

The Beast did not recognize the location, but something had drawn the creature here. Something the Beast had hungered for, clawing its way back through the Darkness to find.

Closing Mako-blue eyes, the creature searched with its other senses. Nothing.

The Beast looked around, walking up the curving staircase. When the creature got to the top, the being closed its eyes again, and listened. Nothing. Wait! Heartbeat! Familiar… Oh! Light! Light's heartbeat!

Opening feral eyes, with a whine, the Beast raised its nose to smell for its Light. There! Smell Light's scent! Through doorway! Go through doorway! Find Light!

The Beast lumbered towards the door.

XXX

"I don't get it. If there's two names to the place, which one do we go by?"

Aerith shrugged her shoulders, continuing to look through the library's books. "I'm not sure myself, Yuffie. Older records call our location Radiant Garden, while more recent records call it the more familiar name of Hollow Bastion."

Next to the doorway, Cid harrumphed where he stood guard. The good ol' Venus Gospel by his side. "Why don't we all make it easy by callin' it what it is. The Shithole. Tee hee! Kinda has a nice ring to it. Welcome to The Shithole!

Turning from his chosen bookcase, Leon shook his head in disgust at Cid. "Cid, we're not renaming this place The Shithole!"

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because I think the Universe will collapse, along with my sanity, if I hear Aerith say that."

Scratching the back of his head, Cid looked at a giggling Aerith, and frowned. "Shit. Didn't think of that. Sorry, Aerith."

"It's all right, Cid. I would have had fun."

XXX

Everyone in the Castle Library froze when the group heard low growling.

Cid whirled with Venus at the ready. Eyes widening in shock when he saw Cloud standing in the doorway.

The group could only make out Cloud's eyes, which glowed like searchlights, in the darkness of the Castle.

A tense Cloud crouched, snarling, and ready to attack.

Leon wanted nothing more than to run to his mate, but survival instincts kicked in. He knew the Beast standing before him loved him, but would not hesitate in hurting him, to sate carnal desires.

Cid backed up, motioning everyone to do the same. "Okay now. 'Cept for Leon, we all know the drill. Brat, you stay back with Leon. None of those jerky Ninja moves. Leon? Don't ya even breath until Aerith gives the okay."

Cid spared a glance to a resolute Aerith. "Ready for ya, Sis. Work ya magic."

Aerith nodded to Cid. Smiling her sweet smile, she glided up to the snarling creature. When she got about five feet away, she stopped, leaning over, so he could smell her. "Hello! Hello!"

Inhaling her familiar scent, The Beast ceased snarling. Beginning to purr, the creature lowered its head to be petted.

Aerith reached out, ruffling Cloud's chocobo hair. "Oh, it moved! Hurray!"

The Beast crept forward into Aerith's embrace.

Leon saw the light that always surrounded Aerith brighten and widen its embrace to Cloud.

"Aerith? Wha - What happened? Where am I?"

Aerith loosened her embrace, so she could gaze into Cloud's now dimmed eyes. "You're with family."

Aerith moved out of the way, so a confused Cloud could see a silent crying Leon.

Cloud's face lit up with rare happiness. Letting go of Aerith, he ran to Leon's open arms. "I'm home."

Leon nodded through joyful tears. "Yes, love. You're home."

XXX

Countless Heartless, who had spilled from the Keyhole Sora had just closed, roamed wild over the planet.

Merlin had setup a house down a ways from the Castle, guarded by magic. The one safe place in all of Hollow Bastion. Everyone stayed at the House. The trip, getting to, and leaving the house, proved to be extremely dangerous.

Cid informed Cloud of this information, which he noted.

Smirking, Cloud glanced over to a blushing Leon, whom he hadn't let go of for a second. The Beast inside purred. He hadn't been able to touch Leon in months. A couple of thousand Heartless wouldn't even be a warm-up for him. Holding Leon tighter, he nuzzled his rosy cheek. The true workout would come soon after.

Tossing Leon, who yelped, over his shoulder, Cloud slapped his ass, saluted a chortling Cid, and ran out the door to a chorus of female giggles.

Before Leon could scream his indignation, which would have gotten his ass smacked again, the pair had arrived at the front door of the house. He blinked in astonishment.

Cloud must've killed over four thousand Heartless between the Castle and here. He wasn't even breathing hard.

Leon gulped in trepidation. Thank Shiva he saved up all the elixirs Cloud sent him.

Kicking in the doorway, Cloud strode in, kicking the door shut behind him. "Kitten, where's our room?"

Leon sniffed, refusing to answer him.

Smack! Smack!

Leon yelped when Cloud punished his ass once again. This time on both cheeks.

"Kitten? You're going to have a very sore bottom if you don't answer me."

Leon jerked around, from where he hung upside down on Cloud's shoulder, pointing down the hallway. "First door to the left! Jerk."

After walking down the hall, Cloud opened the door, throwing his fuming Light down on the small bed. Shutting the door tight, he jammed First Tsurugi under the handle to keep the door closed. Turning towards Leon with a maniacal smile, he began to remove his clothing. "If you want to keep those clothes intact, you better start taking them off right now, Kitten."

Leon didn't budge a muscle. He hissed, with raised hackles, like a pissed-off kitty. "Why should I, lying liar? You got your head crushed, and you never told me!"

With a frown, Cloud stopped undressing, leaving just his pants on. "And you lied to me about the little Heartless problem in Traverse Town. Guess that makes us both liars. Stop arguing, Kitten. Get undressed."

Pouting, for being caught calling the kettle black, Leon removed his clothing. Nude and blushing, he refused to look at Cloud, covering his privates with his hands. So much time had passed, since the couple had last made love. For him, this would be like their first time all over again.

Cloud sat on the bed, moving Leon's hands away from his privates. Bad Kitten! Covering up what belonged to him!

Leaning down, Cloud nuzzled Leon's penis, licking up and down the shaft. Taking what he could into his mouth, he sucked hard, moving up and down the shaft. He had hungered for his Light's taste and would no longer be denied.

Leon inhaled, grabbing the top of Cloud's head. He knew better than to try to stop Cloud, and he really didn't want to.

Cloud sucked and sucked. Fisting the part that wasn't in his mouth with one hand, he fondled Leon's balls with the other.

Leon felt himself coming in a rush. Strengthening his hold on Cloud's head, he came with a scream.

Cloud drank down all of his Kitten's milk and attempted to suckle for more.

Leon made gentle pushes against strong shoulders. "Cloud? Please hold me. I need you to hold me."

Rearing up, Cloud enclosed Leon in a tight embrace, careful not to crush him under his enhanced skeleton.

"Cloud? Did you find and beat Sephiroth? Are we free from his threat?"

Cloud shook his head no against Leon's shoulder. "Sephiroth and I fought in the Darkness. With your love, I held my own, but he got around one of my blocks. When he went to stab me in the stomach, something strange happened, and he left."

Leon moved away to look into Cloud's face. "What happened?"

Sighing, Cloud looked away from Leon's gaze. "This bright light appeared where Sephiroth's heart should be. He clawed at the glow like a cancer. The Light hurt him immensely. I think the Light stopped him from making a potential killing blow."

"Did he say anything?"

Cloud's face altered. For a minute, a young, innocent, teenage Cloud looked into Leon's eyes. "He kept saying, "Zack! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Zack!" over and over again."

Leon's forehead furrowed with curiosity. Who was Zack? Cloud, and none of the others of his world, ever brought up a person named Zack. "Cloud? Who's Zack?"

Cloud shook his head. "Squall, I swear I'll tell you everything later. I have to go over a few things with Cid, too. Can we forget about that for now? I've missed you for so long."

Leon tightened his hug around Cloud. "Of course, Cloud. I've missed you too. I'm happy that my love could help, and strengthen you, even when we're apart."

Cloud hid his head in the crook of Leon's neck, inhaling his Light's sweet smell. "The Beast focused on your love, My Light, to free me from the Darkness. The one thing that could. Thank you."

Leon kissed Cloud's forehead, thanking the Gods for bringing his mate home to his heart once again. "You're welcome."

XXX

Cloud and Leon took their time rediscovering each other's bodies.

With Cloud's long absence, Leon had once again become shy and a little prudish.

This amused Cloud to no end. "Kitten? Have you been touching what's mine since I've been gone?"

Leon hid his blush in Cloud's shoulder. He gave a low moan, nodding, while Cloud caressed him. "A little, but I just missed you so bad. You shouldn't have left me alone so long."

Cloud moved away from Leon, with a wicked smile. Eyes glowing soft in the dark. "Show me."

Leon sat up, once again blushing, with wide eyes. "What?"

If possible, Cloud's smile became even more evil. "Show me what you've been doing to yourself, since I've been away. Don't leave anything out either, or you'll get another bad kitty spanking."

Leon pouted. However, after a moment's thought, he changed position on the bed, reaching for something hidden in the little drawer, in the bedside table.

Cloud's eyes widened when he recognized a familiar bottle of lubrication.

Leon shimmied up, resting his upper back on the headboard of the bed. Placing lubrication on the fingers of both hands, he resisted looking at Cloud while doing this, out of pure mortification. He knew Cloud would go through with his threat of spanking, if he didn't do what he wanted. To tell the truth, now that he would be doing the act, he felt turned on too.

Leon began by masturbating his penis in a slow twisting motion, not enough to get him off, but just enough to get the blood going. With the other hand, he nudged his balls out of the way, and moved his fingers around his own anus, preparing the entrance for penetration.

Relaxing his anal muscle, Leon slowly stuck one finger in. Masturbating harder to keep his penis erect, he searched for his prostate. Inhaling when he found the gland, he bent forward a little, in reflex. "Oh! Ha! Oh! Oh yes!"

Leon began to prod the gland mercilessly, loving the feel. He found the pleasure to be not enough. Shoving the middle finger in, to join the first, his masturbating increased, keeping time with the prods to his own prostate.

Forcing clenched eyes open, Leon looked at Cloud's face, while he did this. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Yes! Ah! This is.. Ah!…what…Oh!….I've…Ha!….been…Nuh!…doooinng! Ah! Ah! Nah! Ah! Oh! Cloud! Look at me! Ah! Ah! Ah! Look at me! Oh! Ha!

Cloud stared at his writhing mate in awe. When he registered what Leon started doing in front of him, he began to masturbate along. "That's it, Kitten. Fuck yourself harder. I'm watching. I won't miss anything. Come on, Baby! Come for me!"

"Oh! Ah! Ah! Gods! Ha! Gods! Cloud! I love you! I love you! I missed you so much. Oh! Huh! Ah! I'm coming! I'm coming! Aaaahhhhh!" Coming with a lung-bursting scream, Leon arched off the bed, jamming his fingers hard into his prostate. Hand fisting his penis roughly to pump all the semen out.

Cloud answered Leon's scream with a groan when he also came. Rising up on his knees, he leaned over Leon, pumping semen over Leon's lax form, marking his mate once more with his seed.

Leon smiled up to Cloud, while he did this, running his hand over the fluid, rubbing the semen into his skin. "You're making your Light dirty."

Cloud gave Leon a deep kiss, ending with a soft nip to the lips. "Good."

XXX

Leon took Cloud's face between his hands. Softly kissing Cloud, he murmured over and over, "I love you. I love you so much."

Cloud received Leon's attentions with humble gratefulness. He had arrived at the Coliseum, with no hope and no future. He now had a life-long mate, who filled his dark soul with Light, keeping the Beast at bay with his unselfish love.

Halting his loving to lean up, Leon whispered in Cloud's ear. "Cloud. Fill me up. I've been empty, for so long, without you. I need it bad. Give it to me. Please?"

Leon punctuated the whisper by reaching down and clasping Cloud's penis in his grasp.

The Beast inside Cloud purred. Kitten hadn't been the only one who had been waiting a long time. The purring moved from Cloud's brain, out his throat, to Leon's gleeful ears.

Instead of being frightened, Leon giggled, licking Cloud's lips like the naughty kitten the Beast loved so much.

Cloud wanted to try something new for their reunion. "Squall? Do you mind if I do you from the back? I know you want to see my face, but I feel all right."

Leon stared into Cloud's eyes for a moment, assessing the situation, before nodding a shy acquiescence, with another rosy blush.

Cloud joyfully gave Leon a big hug. He then motioned Leon to turn over onto his stomach.

Leon rolled over. Keeping his head and upper torso on the bed, he raised thin hips, so most of his weight rested on his shoulders. He peered over his shoulder into Cloud's saucer-like eyes. "This what you wanted, Cloud?"

Cloud gulped, nodding so hard, Leon thought his head would fall off. "Yeah, baby. That's perfect."

Leon brought his hands next to his head, so he could rest more of his weight on his forearms. He then began to sway his butt in Cloud's face, like a kitty swishing its tail. "Well, Hero. Ya gonna do something about it?"

Cloud's eyes went from somewhat dim to electric blue fire with two swishes of Leon's ass. Grabbing Leon's ass, having enough foresight to check and see if the entrance had stayed stretched from before, he entered his Light in one thrust.

Cloud inhaled at Leon's tightness. Gods! He wasn't sure if he could make it. Leon's body sucked in his penis, holding the member like a vise.

Leon's grey-blue eyes went from sleepy to wide open. Oh! Deep. So deep! He felt Cloud's erection thrusting into his throat. So good. It felt so good. Why isn't Cloud moving? Oh! Why won't he move!

Leon began to initiate the act by moving back and forth.

Cloud grabbed his hips to stop him.

Leon began to whine and clench his anal muscles.

Cloud smacked his ass, so he would be still.

Leon looked back with a pout. "Cloud? Don't tease me! I want it bad! Move!"

Cloud took a few breaths. With a nod to himself, he began to thrust into Leon, making sure he hit Leon's prostate once he found the gland.

Leon buried his head in the bed, moaning and groaning, forgetting his prudishness to the all-encompassing pleasure his mate gave him. He rocked back to meet every one of Cloud's thrusts. "Harder, Cloud. Oh! Please, harder!"

Cloud obeyed his Light's orders, picking Leon's right leg up to get a better angle to his prostate.

Leon went from low moaning, to lustful screams, with the introduction of the new positioning. He reached under himself, with one hand, beginning to fist his own dribbling erection. "Fuck! Fuck! Cloud! Good! So Good! I never knew! Oh! Ah! Ah! Harder! Harder! Oh! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Cloud rotated his hips in a circular motion.

Leon felt Cloud's erection carving him from the inside out. Resting all his weight on his upper shoulders, he fondled his own balls, while masturbating. He needed to come so bad. He felt like he would explode. "Make me come, Cloud! Make me come! So tight! So hot! Can't stand it! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Cloud placed Leon's leg back down. Leaning over his mate's rocking, pleading form, he began to fast hump him. Leaned even further, he whispered in his gasping Light's ear. "I love you, Squall. I'll always love you. Come on, baby. Come for me."

Hearing that utterance, Leon's eyes opened wide. Slamming his hands back down on the bed, Leon's orgasm shot out of his body. He wailed, while his body convulsed. Each jet of semen falling onto the now spoiled blanket below him.

Cloud mimicked Leon's motions. Forcing his hands onto the bed, he grasped and tore the sheets, so he wouldn't break Leon's hips or shoulders. He screamed when Leon's internal muscles squeezed the orgasm from his pulsating penis.

Their orgasms went on and on.

Leon collapsed onto the bed. Penis still dribbling semen.

Cloud fell to the side, so he wouldn't crush Leon, but he held Leon's hip close, so his penis would stay in.

Goofily smiling, while he felt his bowels being filled with Cloud's hot sperm, Leon reached back to bring Cloud closer to him. "Hold me close, Cloud. Make sure it all stays in."

Wrapping his right arm around Leon's torso, Cloud sealed his chest to Leon's back. Nuzzling his nose in Leon's now sweaty hair, he inhaled his Light's scent.

"Cloud?"

"Hmm?"

"I know you still have to defeat Sephiroth, but promise me you won't leave me alone. I know I could never take that pain again. Promise me. Please?"

Cloud stared at the back of Leon's head. He didn't want to lie to his Light; never to his Light. But… He shook his head to himself. Next time, he would be better prepared, and his Light would be at his side.

Cloud wouldn't be lying, if he could kill Sephiroth, before getting pulled back into the Darkness like before. No, he wouldn't be lying at all. "I promise, Squall. I promise I won't leave you alone again."

Hearing Leon's sharp exhale, like he had been holding his breath, Cloud tightened his hold around Leon. He heard Leon hum with happiness.

Closing his eyes, Cloud prayed to the Gods that had gifted him with this wonderful man. "Let me have this happiness for just a little while longer. Please?"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Whenever Cid goes on a long rant, I imagine "Cid's Theme" from FF7 is playing in the background from everywhere and nowhere. I also believe that the other characters around Cid hear it too and it totally freaks them out. Well, everyone except Cloud and Vincent. Sometimes being crazy pays off. Vincent Valentine is from Final Fantasy 7 and Dirge of Cerberus. Originally updated 11/9/08. Revised 4/8/09

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Chocobo wants answers. Lion asks Captain silly question. Captain's Bat returns with news of a newfound Angel.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Pincher Crab Attack, Non-Graphic Blood-drinking, Flashback, Vincent Valentine Angst at it's Finest

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 6 - The Captain, Four Demons, and a Heartsick Son**

XXX

"Come on! Day's wastin'! Get yer lazy asses up!"

A groggy Cloud and Leon woke up to Cid's familiar pounding on the door.

"Gave ya two fuckin' days fer yer fuckin' hunneymoon. Stench's startin' to get past the door. Get yer gear on and eat yer vittles, so Aerith can fumigate yer room."

Cloud frowned into Leon's blushing face, laying on the pillow beside his. "Squall, I can't tell with my heightened senses. Do we really stink that bad?"

Attempting to move, Leon grimaced. "If we smell as bad as my ass hurts, the answer would be yes."

Cloud smirked. Hand traveling downward, from the small of Leon's back, until he could rub fingers against Leon's sore abused entrance. "We still have a box of elixirs left."

Glaring at Cloud, Leon shook his head on the pillow. "Cloud, what happened the last time you tried to ignore Cid's orders?"

Cloud's eyes lost focus for a moment, sharpening in alarm when the bad memories came rushing back. "You're right, Squall. I'll get you an elixir, so you can get up, and we can get ready."

"Thank you, love."

XXX

Before the freshly-washed couple left the house to walk to Hollow Bastion Castle, the pair passed, in the hallway, a sedate gas-mask wearing Aerith holding a mop, a pail; clothed in Cid's old coveralls.

The last time Leon felt so embarrassed occurred at the Orphanage, when Matron changed his bed sheets, after his first wet dream.

Cloud thought his Light looked adorable; moping and blushing. He held Leon close with one arm. Hand keeping a tight grip on Leon's left ass cheek; lips covered Leon's face and neck with kisses.

All along the way, with the other hand, Cloud killed countless Heartless, swinging First Tsurugi in a wide arc.

Every time Leon attempted to get in a hit or two, he would receive a swift spank on the butt. "Cloud! This isn't fair! I'm the leader of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee! Besides that, I'm also a battle-trained mercenary. If you don't allow me to fight, I'll get rusty."

Stopping their forward progression Cloud stabbed First Tsurugi into the ground. The accompanying shock waves killing hundreds of Heartless around them. "Squall, who's your husband?"

Looking around, until his eyes came back to Cloud, Leon pointed down to Cloud's crotch.

Cloud quirked an eyebrow. "Wrong head, Squall."

"Could've fooled me these last two days."

"Squall, I'm your husband. You're my Light. I love and protect you. You love and take care of me. End of story."

Pouting, Leon embraced Cloud, hiding his disappointment on Cloud's shoulder. "But I wanna fight too."

Picking up First Tsurugi, Cloud swung the sword around, killing the few Heartless who attempted to sneak up on the couple. "When the planet becomes less dangerous, I promise that we can spar together. I'll even let you win sometimes."

Leon rubbed his paws on Cloud's chest, like a kitten making muffins. "Not the same."

Sighing, Cloud swung the great sword again. "All right, Kitten. If you practice really hard, and learn to focus your magical energy, I think I'll be able to teach you how to do Blade Beam."

An excited Leon moved back, so he could look into Cloud's amused face. "That the one with the pretty killing waves, that make all your enemies fall down, exploding from the inside out?"

Cloud nodded with a sweet smile only Leon and Aerith ever saw.

Doing a little dance-hop of delight, Leon threw his arms around Cloud with happiness. "Oh, Cloud. I love you so much!"

Cloud cased the surrounding canyon. Hmmm. Between three to five thousand Heartless. He smirked. The couple could totally have sex right now. Leon would just have to keep tight hold of Cloud's hips with his thighs.

"Squall?"

Leon still basked in oblivious happiness. "Yes, Cloud?"

"How strong are your thigh muscles?"

Frowning in confusion, Leon once again moved away from Cloud to question him.

At the exact same moment, a voice from the Heavens rained down on their wincing heads. "Goddammit! Git yer stupid asses in this castle right now! Y'all wanna die? Do yer dyin' on someone else's time! Now come on! Ah'm eye-ballin' you, Strife! Lion got better sense!"

Cloud growled up at Cid, while the pair ran up the rest of the valley. He wondered how the hell Cid could propel his voice across half a canyon without enhancements.

"Yeah, fuck you too! Ya don't hurry on up. All y'all get fer dinner'll be dead Great Ninja."

"Old man, I heard that!"

"Funny how ya didn't hear, "Shut the fuck up, brat!" the last twenty times Ah yelled it to ya."

"I just refuse to listen to senile babbling."

"Why, you little shit!"

Leon hastened his running, hoping to save Yuffie from a fuming Cid.

Cloud followed close behind, protecting his Light's back, feeling very glad to finally have a place to call Home.

XXX

Once Yuffie had been saved from Cid's threatened strangulation, the group moved up to the Library, continuing the search through the Town's seeming endless records.

Leon dropped a dusty book in disgust. "It would be so easy if we could find their main computer. All the most recent records refer the reader to the main computer's data files."

Grunting from his bookcase, Cid put back the book he had flipped through. "Ya take yer time. Finish what ya start. Then ya move on. No skippin' here 'n there. That's when things get missed."

Cid looked at Leon until the Lion returned his gaze. "Learned that the hard way, Son."

Returning a smile back to his adoptive father, Leon went back to the search.

The party searched for another hour, before being interrupted by Cloud, who had taken Cid's guarding place at the door. "Uh. Cid?"

"Heh?"

"Umm. I need to ask you some very personal questions, and I sort of need them answered soon."

Leon dropped what he had been doing. Rapid eyes moving from Cloud to Cid, and back again.

"Hee. Watcha so uptight for, Kid? Ya know all mah skeletons."

"Well. It's about Vincent. I… I saw him, while I fought Sephiroth, in the Darkness."

Jumping down from the upstairs balcony, Yuffie pointed at Cloud's surprised spiky head. "You saw Vinnie and you didn't tell me!"

Leon kept his eyes on Cid.

Backing up, until his behind rested against one of the library's desks, Cid stared at the bookcase in front of him, rotating the book he held in his big hands. "Yeah. Guess you would've."

"Cid, I need answers. I believe Vincent's the only one who can tell me the truth."

Cid's eyes moved from the bookcase to Cloud's stern face. "Truth? Heh. Ya ain't gonna like it, kid. Shit, don't matter anyway. Haven't heard from Valentine for near on a year."

Leon couldn't hold back the curiosity any longer. "Who's Vincent?"

Yuffie twirled, then landed with a flop on her butt. "You mean Vincent Valentine."

"Vincent Valentine? That's an odd name. So who is he?"

"Oh Gawd, Leon. Now ya done it."

In hindsight, Leon still didn't believe that the question warranted such a reaction. Then again, the response should have been expected. All the old members of AVALANCHE that he ever met, including his much-loved husband, seemed a tad strange.

"Who's Vincent Valentine, ya say?"

Leon looked from Yuffie to Cid, backing up slow, when he realized Cid had gone into one of his rare, deadly, preaching moods. Gulping, he moved forwards toward Cloud.

Leon felt betrayed when the Chocobo fled out into the hallway. Great protector, his ass! He then directed a panicking gaze back to Yuffie, who had covered her head with both arms, like the act would make her invisible.

"Who's Vincent Valentine? Ah'll tell ya who the fuck Vincent Valentine is!"

Throwing down the book he had been holding, Cid grabbed the Venus Gospel in his left hand. He then, miraculously, reached across the whole room with his right hand, to grab firm hold of a shaking Leon by the poofy, white scruff around his neck, dragging him struggling out the library door.

XXX

Once Cid had dragged a still-struggling Leon down the curving stairway to the main hall, he let the tiring Lion go.

Striding to the middle of the vast room, walking around the big pot-hole that remained from Cloud's crash landing, Cid steadied himself. Puffing his mighty chest out, he began the sermon on the great love of his life, Vincent Valentine."Vincent Valentine, Ex-Turk and Greatest Marksman in all the Worlds! Nigh on ten years now, on my death-bed, that blessed dark angel, along with his four demons, took mah humble hand, promisin' his sweet, hot body to Cid Highwind ferever and ever, til' Death finds us out, Amen!"

"Who's Vincent Valentine? He's the light of mah life! The star in mah sky! The honey in mah tea! The fuel in mah rocket! The get-up in mah step! The hoot in mah toot! The fire in mah heart! The itch in mah crotch!…"

Retreating back up the staircase, away from the crazy man, Leon halted. He then rushed forward to help Cid, when a tall, black-haired, red-caped figure materialized out of thin air, stopping the Captain cold with a distinct nerve pinch.

Stopping Leon with loving arms, Cloud embraced him from behind. "Relax, Squall. Everything's all right. That's Vincent."

Leon's eyes widened, when he got a closer look at the unearthly, beautiful man, holding a dead-weight, paralyzed Cid with one arm.

With the other arm, which seemed to be encased in a lethal-looking golden gauntlet, the man named Vincent picked at Cid like he searched for ticks; completely expecting to find them.

"Shit, Vince. Ya know Ah hate it when ya pull the pincher crab on me."

The man admonished Cid in a low, purring voice. "Captain, you promised us that you would desist with the sermonizing of our many virtues. The last time, you went on for three full hours in the Seventh Heaven. Remember?"

"Ah stopped then."

"Hmph. Only when your smoker's lung kicked in."

"Hee hee! Jest luv talkin' 'bout mah baby."

"Captain, Chaos informs me that you have not continued with the drinking of the necessary fluid to halt your physical degradation."

"Sure Ah have! You tell Ms. Snooty Ah have mah tea every day."

"I am not amused, Highwind. Death Gigas senses your cells degenerating."

"Ah just want mah smell to match Zombie's. It's called romance, Vince."

"Hellmasker laments the loss of his card-playing partner while we speak."

"Heh. Love ya right back, Card Cheat."

Cid's paralysis had worn off enough, so he could lean up a trifle in Vincent's embrace. "Did the Mutt at least miss the ol' Captain a little."

Vincent answered his husband's baited question with a whine, a quick snuffle along the blond hairline, and a long lick up the side of a now grinning face.

"Aw Mutt, missed ya too."

"Captain, why have you stopped drinking the blood?"

Sniggering, Cid hung his now mobile head. "Maybe Ah'm jest getting tired of livin'.

Red eyes squinting in concern, Vincent raised Cid's head, so he could look direct into sky-blue eyes. "Captain. Not even in jest. Even the thought hurts us too much."

When Vincent let go of Cid's face, Cid rested his head in Vincent's neck. "Sorry, Vince. Ya know Ah don' think right when you're gone from me. Got nowhere to shine mah Light."

"Hmph. My Darkness hungers for you also, My Sky."

Vincent directed his gaze from his husband upwards to Cloud, still holding an incredulous Leon, on the staircase. "Cloud, I shall inform you of all that I know; but My Light's needs must come first. You understand the importance of this now."

Leon looked from Vincent to Cloud, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Vincent Valentine then picked up Cid Highwind, like a baby, and flew out the door.

Leon stared at the open doorway, like the entrance held easy answers to all he had witnessed. "Cloud?"

"Yes, Squall."

"Have Cid and Vincent always been this entertaining?"

Laughing out loud, Cloud turned a still shocked Leon around to face him. "Oh, My Light. You've just seen the opening act. They haven't even gotten started. You want to see the rest?"

Tilting his head in thought, blue-grey eyes lighting up, Leon nodded.

Picking Leon up, so he could run fast, Cloud turned towards Yuffie, motioning with his head for her to follow.

The gleeful group ran out the door, following the circus, that had preceded them.

XXX

When Leon, Cloud, and Yuffie arrived to the house, the trio witnessed an uneasy Cid getting out five vials of reddish fluid, from the little refrigerator near his toolbox.

Cid looked mournful at a stern Vincent, who's arms lay crossed in front of his chest.

"Drink all of them, Captain. Death Gigas informs me the blood must repair much damage, before your body has reverted back to its healthiest state."

Cid looked down at the vials in his hands. Uncorking all five of them, with a sneer of disgust, Cid gulped them down in one go. Dropping the vials, which magically disappeared, he clutched his throat, coughing and sputtering.

Leon looked toward Aerith, but she made no move to help Cid.

Rolling his eyes, Vincent huffed. "Captain, quit being so dramatic."

Harshly inhaling, Cid fixed his mate with a beady eye. "Who the fuck's bein' dramatic? Shit's vile and Ah ain't gonna hide mah distaste fer it jest to calm yer feelings."

Turning to Aerith, Cid gestured with a limp hand. The other clutching his chest. "Aerith, ya got mah true medicine ready?"

Smiling, Aerith brought Cid a fresh cup of tea.

"Yer a life-saver, Sis."

Cid drank the tea up in one go, even though the fluid probably burned his throat all the way down. He then sat down in the old, smelly, stuffed chair, that he had hauled all the way from Traverse Town, motioning Vincent to sit on his lap.

Vincent stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, Vince. It's been too long, and the Captain's too tired, to play the teasin' game in front of the kids. 'Sides Strife's dyin' to grind ya fer yer information 'bout the psycho."

Vincent harrumphed, but took a graceful seat on Cid's lap.

Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie all bunched together on the couch opposite Cid's chair.

Aerith chose to sit near the warm stove, where another kettle of tea brewed.

Peering into Cloud's face, Vincent seemed to ponder how to best begin his story. "Cloud? Since your separation from Sephiroth, have you felt anything of importance missing from your psyche?"

Holding Leon's hand, Cloud turned the question over in his head for a long time, before answering. "Yeah. Zack doesn't talk to me anymore. I still remember him, and the true times we spent together. But I used to hear his voice, and sort of feel his aura inside me, it's not there anymore. I guess it's why I felt so lost before I found Squa-uh-I-mean-Leon."

Tightening the hold on Cloud's hand, Leon whispered. "It's okay, Cloud. I don't mind anymore, if you do it."

Cloud turned to Leon. Both smiled at each other, acknowledging the significance.

Vincent cleared his throat to get Cloud's attention back to the task at hand. "Cloud, did you ever wonder where that part of Zack went?"

Looking confused for a moment, Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "I just thought my mind had become less cluttered. Maybe it had healed a little."

Yuffie sniggered, until Leon slapped her thigh.

"No, Cloud. I see now that you've misunderstood all this time. You said before that Zack handed you his sword when he died, saying that you would be his living legacy."

Looking down to his lap, Cloud gazed on his joined hands with Leon. Eyes beginning to tear up with the memories. "Yeah. I said I'd live both our lives. Easier to make that promise."

"Cloud, for a long time, you accomplished just that."

Cloud looked back up to a blank-faced Vincent. Now, he really felt confused. "How did I do that? Zack died. He went into the Lifestream with Aerith. Aerith told me he stayed trapped when the Darkness swallowed our world."

Nodding, Vincent settled more comfortably in Cid's ready embrace. "Yes, his soul stays enclosed in the Lifestream. But his heart, Cloud, his heart he gave to you for safekeeping."

"That even possible?"

Leon nudged Cloud with his shoulder. "Sora said Kairi gave her heart to him for safekeeping. He carried the heart all through his travels, searching for her, without even knowing. It's completely possible, and probable, that Zack did the same thing without your knowledge."

Cloud's eyebrows furrowed; trying to digest all this. "Why? He had no reason to do that. At the time, the one person Zack truly loved, with all his heart and soul, had been Sephiroth. Sephiroth had been dead for almost six years. Zack didn't know he could regenerate back to life."

Vincent shrugged. "I cannot ascertain what the Fates, in the past, decide. I do know that Zack's heart, which once beat in your body, lives now in my son Sephiroth's body."

Cloud jerked back on the couch. "What do you mean? I knew that you had an affair with Lucrecia at the same time, but I always thought Sephiroth's father had been Hojo."

Vincent looked to the side. Eyes lowered in grief.

Cid placed strong, steady hands on Vincent's shoulders.

Vincent placed his hands over Cid's for reassurance. "Sephiroth is my son. Because Hojo had injected him with Jenova's cells, while he grew in Lucrecia's womb, neither I, nor the demons inside me, could feel or hear my baby crying out in desolation and pain. I became an instrument in his death. For this, I shall always be heart-broken."

Cloud shook his head. "Vincent, you can't blame yourself for that. Sephiroth had become insane. He would have destroyed the planet. For God's sake, he almost killed Zack, at Jenova's behest, and Zack had been his soul-mate. You couldn't have done anything."

Leaning back, sliding into Cid's comforting embrace, Vincent rested his head on Cid's shoulder. "Cloud, when you have a child of your own, you will understand the lengths you will go to save them, even if your child would kill you in the end."

Vincent gathered scattered thoughts. "When our planet had been destroyed by the Heartless, Jenova's head had been destroyed also. With the creature now gone, my son would be free of her evil machinations, but he lay now dead. When you fed on the power of the Darkness, my son awakened once again."

"When Sephiroth tore himself free from your body, with the help of the Darkness, my demons howled to my attention that the Firstborn now lived. Knowing you would kill him on the spot, I immediately grabbed his still unconscious body, laying next to yours; spiriting him away to the land of the Darkness. I apologize for causing you distress."

Cloud's face became cold and emotionless, when Vincent brought up Sephiroth's rebirth. "Vincent, I'm sorry, but Sephiroth's still dangerous to everyone, especially Aerith. Now that I have My Light, I will not take the chance of him being killed by an insane Sephiroth. I have to finish this once and for all. Sephiroth must die."

Tugging himself out of Cid's embrace, Vincent got on his knees, prostrating, in front of Cloud. "Cloud, please. I'm begging you. Sephiroth's confused and lost. His body's composed of Darkness, but Zack's heart beats inside of him. He will never make a killing blow, against you, or your loved ones, because Zack will never let him. You witnessed this yourself. Do not deny the fact. I swear to you that everyone in this house remains safe from my son."

Leon's eyes widened with awe. Vincent, at that moment, seemed to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. If tears didn't run down his face, Leon would think he wasn't real.

Negatively shaking his head, Cloud's expression never changed. He remained immune, to the beauty before him, now that his own Light sat beside him.

Vincent, in desperation, tugged on Cloud's arm. "Cloud, he calls me Father now."

Turning wildly back around on his knees, Vincent faced a saddened Cid. "Cid, he knows me now! He even lets me hold him and heal him with my Darkness."

Leaning forward, Cid wiped the tears from his love's face. Vincent's tears always killed Cid. The tears never came from happiness. "That's great, Hunny. Ya got yer baby back. Jest watcha always wanted."

Vehemently nodding his head up and down, Vincent then turned back to Cloud.

Cloud closed his eyes. He then opened them, looking Vincent right in the face.

What Vincent saw, made him instantly release Cloud's arm, to fly sobbing into Cid's open embrace.

"I'm sorry, Vincent. But My Light's protection will always come first. Once I find Sephiroth, I'll kill him. I'll make sure, this time, he never comes back."

The room filled with silence, broken only by Vincent's sobs, and the whistle of the ignored teakettle.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Another chapter which went completely off my careful planned path. But I finally got rid of that stupid wing! Yay! The molesting my poor Leon has to go through for KH2 continuity. Sigh. Vincent Valentine is from FF7 and Dirge of Cerberus. Originally updated 11/11/08. Revised 4/9/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Bat on the tin roof rustin'. Seph singin'. Lion misunderstandin'. Dark Chocobo, Crazy Mind.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Vincent Valentine-style Angst, Lost Baby, Scary Cloud, ABUSIVE SEX (No, really! Not Kidding!), Wing Rippage

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 7 - Little Boy Lost**

XXX

"Vince! Hunny, come on down! Come on! How'm Ah suppos'd to get mah Light to ya up there? Ah ain't no monkey Ninja!"

"Watch it, Old Man!"

"Shut it, ya little shit. Get that tea up to mah baby! Poor darlin's probl'y all dried up with the cryin'.

Scampering up the side of the house, Yuffie handed Aerith's special tea to the desolate, crying sharpshooter.

Vincent had languished on the tip-top of the Committee's house for three straight days.

At wits end, and near out of cigarettes, Cid went with the tactic that he swore he would never use. "Vince? If yer up on the roof, who's takin' care of the baby in the Darkness?"

Cid waited with bated breath, when the crying died down to a hiccuping stop. "Ch-ch-chaos m-m-monit-t-ters h-h-h-iss s-s-soul."

"Well, does he now? What's Ms. Snooty's verdict?"

Vincent's breathing paused, while he listened to demonic whispering.

Cid waited, waited, and winced when Vincent began to bawl even harder than before. "Vince! Baby, whut's wrong now!"

"H-h-h-heeee c-c-can't f-f-ind H-H-HIMMM!"

"Whuh! Goddamit! Ah thought he was the all-powerful King of the Darkness! How the fuck could he lose the kid? He's a seven-foot psycho with wings, for fucks sake!"

"Ch-ch-ch-aos s-s-s-aid th-th-the b-b-b-aby s-s-s-ang t-t-to h-h-im. H-h-he f-f-fell as-s-sleep."

"Psycho can sing? Well, shit. Hojo really did think of everythin'"

Holding the tea Yuffie had given him, Vincent drank the tea all in one go, so he could speak clear. "I-I-I."

"Ketch yer breath, Vince. Ah ain't goin' nowhere."

Vincent breathed deep, until he could speak without stuttering. "I told him to wait for me. I would be away for a little while. I was just coming to see how you were doing, since your relocation from Traverse Town. He promised he would stay where he was. It's truly not his fault, Cid. He gets lonely. When he thinks of doing bad things, or hurting Cloud, Zack will not speak to him."

"Heh. Ah bet he won't."

"Captain, you do not have to like him, but he's my son, and always will be!"

"Ah said Ah'd tolerate the psycho! Ah didn't raise no ruckus, while you trailed his loony winged ass through the Darkness fer a year. Did Ah?"

Hanging his head with shame, Vincent gazed at the cup in his hands. "No, you did not, Captain. You have been supportive and wonderful. I have not been a very good mate. I apologize. You took on a great weight marrying me and my demons. My son has just increased your burden."

"Vince, yer the best thing that ever happen' to the Captain. No arguin'. 'Bout Sephiroth, well… kin's kin, even if he's a murderin' psycho. So come on down. We need to find our lost boy."

Hearing a familiar swish of a cape, and a breaking of a teacup, Cid found himself enveloped in the embrace of his dark Beloved. He chuckled inside. Vince never got it. For this embrace, he would do anything, even tolerate the Devil himself.

"Oh, My Light. I would have been a great fool not to have loved you."

"Right back at ya, Vince. Right back at ya."

XXX

While the Cid and Vincent Show went on outside, Cloud and Leon had their own conversation in their room, away from prying Ninja ears.

Leon laid on the bed. "So Zack had been the one who rescued you from Hojo after all those years?"

Cloud sat next to Leon's knees. "We were both prisoners of Hojo. He found enough strength to escape, and bring me along with him. I had severe Mako poisoning. I couldn't even blink."

"He died protecting you outside Midgar?"

Cloud laid down beside Leon. "Yeah. I felt so weak. I could only raise my hand, while the troops slaughtered him in front of me."

Leon held Cloud tight. "Why did the soldiers leave you behind?"

"Guess I looked so bad the men thought I was dead already and just didn't know it."

Kissing the top of Cloud's head, Leon sent a silent prayer, and thanks, to the brave man, who died saving his love. "Huh. Zack Fair. Nice name. Sounds happy and carefree. Strange name for a SOLDIER."

Smiling through tears, Cloud remembered his best friend. He had Zack's heart inside him all that time. He should have known. Zack Fair always gave things away, expecting nothing in return. "Zack was happy and carefree. He had the best sense of humor. He was the one person who could make Sephiroth laugh. Sephiroth always said that Zack made him actually appreciate Humanity."

"Did Sephiroth love Zack that much?"

Frowning, Cloud sat back up, away from Leon, so he could look into his blue-grey eyes."Zack was Sephiroth's Light. It's the reason why he's so bent on killing me now. He blames me for Zack dying. Zack would have made it to Midgar, and Aerith's healing powers, if he hadn't had to protect me, and carry me with him. Zack embodied a true First Class SOLDIER. He would have made it."

"If it wasn't for you?"

Cloud looked down towards Leon's stomach where his hand rubbed. "Yeah. Now that I finally found you, and I know of a true Light's love, I don't blame Sephiroth. If you died, I know I'd react a lot worse than Sephiroth ever did."

"Cloud! He almost destroyed your whole planet!"

Looking up into Leon's wide eyes, Cloud continued to rub his Light's tummy. "Yeah."

Sensing Cloud's seriousness, Leon panicked, desperately clinging to Cloud. "Promise me, Cloud. Promise. No matter what happens to me, you won't turn into another Sephiroth. Please!"

A calm Cloud rubbed up and down Leon's back, petting him. "Nothing's going to happen to you, Squall. I'm your husband. You're My Light. Sephiroth had died before Zack had been killed. He wasn't around to protect his Light, but I will be. This is why Sephiroth is going to die."

Leon tightened his arms around Cloud's neck. "Cloud, you heard what Vincent said. Zack's heart's in Sephiroth's body now. Sephiroth won't harm me or Aerith. Zack won't let him. He's only after you, because the Darkness misguides, and compels him. You talk of killing him. But you're both so enhanced, the two of you would just regenerate anyway."

Letting Cloud go, Leon searched his eyes for understanding.

Cloud's face had become emotionless again.

Leon sighed in frustration. "Cloud. You're talking about a battle that will never end. The Committee, and I, have been trying to rebuild this whole world, taking it back from the Heartless. I hoped, since you're my husband, you would be helping me. Instead, all you keep talking about is fighting a sick man who you don't even need to fight anymore. Cloud! LET IT GO! Vincent said he would keep Sephiroth in the lands of the Darkness, and take care of him there. We would never see him again."

Turning away from Leon, Cloud bent down to put on his boots.

"Cloud? Dammit! I know what you're doing! Don't shut me out! You promised you wouldn't shut me out!"

Getting up from the bed, Cloud put his cape on.

Leon fell back on the bed in an angry huff, turning his back to Cloud.

Swinging First Tsurugi onto his back, Cloud then bent down to kiss Leon goodbye, before he patrolled.

Pouting, Leon refused Cloud's lips, moving his face away.

Cloud grabbed Leon's chin, forcing his face back, taking the kiss he had attempted before. Tongue claiming a full helping of his Light's taste inside for good measure. The kiss leaving Leon yearning and breathless. "Don't deny me, Kitten. You know what will happen if you do."

Leon, now clearly upset, turned away from Cloud, consciously drawing his Light inward.

The Beast snarled inside, demanding his Light's immediate submission, making Cloud's irises glow brighter. He managed to calm the Beast somewhat, with the promise of an intense Heartless hunt, and an even more heated Bad Kitten spanking later.

Smirking, Cloud gave Leon's ass a promising smack, before leaving the room.

The door closed shut, right when Leon's thrown pillow hit with an enraged thump.

XXX

Cid, Vincent, Aerith, and Yuffie sat at the table, enjoying their afternoon tea, when Cloud clomped on by.

"Strife?"

"I'm out."

"Vince got some information from Chaos he needs to tell ya."

"Can wait. Gotta patrol."

"Can't wait. 'Bout the psycho. OWW!"

"Captain, we agreed my son would be labeled by that moniker no more!"

"Sorry, Vince. Jest rolls off the tongue, Sephiroth… Psycho…tee hee! Ow! Fuck, Vince! Not so near the Little Captain!"

"Grossness!"

Turning back from the door, Cloud focused his attention on a taciturn Vincent. "Location?"

Vincent glared at him with accusing red eyes. "If I tell you?"

Allowing the Beast to show its face, Cloud growled with the thought of the Great Hunt to come. "I'll strip him of the Darkness he stole from me, cut him up into the smallest pieces I can, incinerate the rest, and scatter his cursed ashes to the far corners of the Worlds."

The tea table turned over when Vincent transformed into his demon, Chaos. Leathery black wings unfurled, encompassing the small family room. Eyes glowed a hellish gold.

Chaos pointed a clawed finger to Cloud's snarling countenance. "Chaos will protect the Firstborn! Firstborn is kin! Weak puppet feeds off our Darkness, never to be free. Even now, his own Light denies him. Without Light, Puppet will die. Not quick enough. Chaos shall eliminate threat to the Firstborn. Firstborn's mate will then rest peaceful in breast. No more hurt. Firstborn will return to kin's bosom where belong."

While leaping towards Chaos, Cloud had been stopped by a frantic Leon, who had run out of his room at the commotion.

Leon embraced Cloud in a tight bear hug, hoping that his Light would calm the Beast, knowing he would have no physical way of stopping him. He released the Light, and love inside of him, that he had denied Cloud earlier, directing all to his snarling mate.

Chaos hissed at the burning Light, not of his Sky, retreating back into his host.

A transformed Vincent collapsed into Cid's waiting arms.

Leon wasn't even sure his tactic worked, until a shaky Cloud spoke into his shoulder. "See. See what will happen if I don't have your Light to guide me? I won't even be able to join you when you die. I saw what happened when Sephiroth found out Zack had died, all alone, crying for him. He stabbed himself over and over with Masamune, regenerating every time. He then cursed the Gods and called down Meteor."

Releasing Cloud, Leon gazed into dimmed Mako-blue eyes. "Cloud, Zack's heart's with Sephiroth now. He found a way to be with his mate. Sephiroth has his Light now. We'll find a way too."

Cloud's face hardened into stone. Ignoring his Light's hurt expression, he stalked over to a recovering Vincent, held secure in Cid's arms.

"You jest back the fuck up, Strife. Chaos's right 'bout one thing. Kin is kin. You ain't gonna be hurtin' mine."

"Whatever. Vincent! Location!"

A wary Vincent looked into Cloud's eyes with disgust. "We do not know. Chaos has lost him to the Darkness."

Crouching forward, Cloud released a small snarl.

Vincent shot one right back at him.

Cid held Vincent closer to him, so he could cover more of Vincent's body with his own.

Cloud's eyes roamed over Vincent's thin form. "Hmm. He calls you Father now. He lets you hold him and heal him with your Darkness. When he's lost, he'll come running to you."

Bending down on one knee, Cloud ran his hand along Vincent's wild black hair. He always thought Vincent to be the most beautiful creature he would ever see, until he found Leon.

Cid slapped his hand away.

Cloud hummed in contentment, cementing a plan in his head. "He'll come to see his Daddy, who loves him so much. When he's all relaxed, and comfortable, I'll cut out Zack's heart, sending it back to the Lifestream where it belongs."

Vincent, who's love would once again be used against him, and his child, began to weep on Cid's shoulder.

"Strife, get the fuck outta mah house, and don't come back 'til yer head's on straight. Ya come back tryin' to hurt what's mine. Ah'll gut ya but good."

Cloud straightened up, beaming like the sun. Walking past his shaking, shocked Light, he opened the wooden door, and closed it behind him.

XXX

Cloud had warned Leon to stay in the house when he patrolled.

Leon believed this warning no longer bore any weight, since Cloud had let the Beast rule him, and gotten kicked out of the house by Cid.

After righting the tea-table, and Cid had laid an exhausted Vincent down to rest, Leon informed the Captain that he would go look for Cloud. He was his Light. The only one who could reason with Cloud, while the Beast ruled his psyche.

A resigned Cid shook his head, glancing towards the door of his bedroom. "Leon, Ah ain't gonna stop ya. Had to do it mahself more times then Ah can recall. Ya saw what Ah'm hitched to. That's jest one of 'em. Take it from this old Light. When Strife's like this, ain't no reasonin'. Ain't no talkin'. Jest killin' and fuckin'. If you ain't ready to get killed, y'all wish ya were dead after Strife's had his fun. Jest warnin' ya."

XXX

"Always be prepared and always bring lubrication." Leon had thought his SEED training would come in handy for many events in his life. He just never thought this would be one of them. Of course, the SEED training manual had referred to the lubrication for rusty chains, old locks, and squeaky hinges on doors and windows.

Well, Squall hadn't become SEED Commander by thinking in the box.

Leon wandered throughout the Castle, slaying the few Heartless that Cloud had not eliminated.

Cloud had not left many.

Leon searched through the Waterway, up to the Entrance Hall, past the Library, and through the Chapel. About to give up, and go back, he spied Cloud standing motionless in the Grand Hall.

Cloud stared at the now vacant area where Sora had closed the final Keyhole.

Leaving the pack, with his extra clothes and supplies, in the inner alcove, where the Princesses had been left before in stasis, Leon made his slow way up the staircase to Cloud's location.

"I hear you, My Light. I heard your heart, leaving the house, coming up the valley, and moving throughout this castle to find me." Turning around, Cloud purred at his shivering Light's form.

Leon realized he wasn't looking at his husband. He gazed at the unleashed Beast, which Cloud had strived so hard to hide from him all this time. He saw what all of Hades's past enemies had seen, before being slaughtered with brutal glee.

Leon's quivering heart couldn't take the sight. Adrenaline pumping, his body turned to flee, forgetting what he came for, just wanting to escape.

The Beast caught him around the middle, before Leon could take one step.

Leon still struggled, elbowing The Beast's arms, and kicking at his shins. To his dismay, he had dropped Lionheart in his terror.

The Beast kicked the weapon far away.

Whining, The Beast rubbed its nose in Leon's hair, inhaling his terror-laced scent. The creature, found the aroma delicious. He hungered for more. "Bad Kitten. First, you refuse my kiss. Second, you disobey my order, putting yourself in danger. Then, you try to run away after you get caught. We'll have to give you a punishment you won't ever forget."

Turning a wriggling, struggling Leon around, The Beast grabbed Leon's hair by the back of his scalp, so he couldn't turn away, bringing his lips down for a brutal, bloody kiss.

Leon brought his hands up, clawing The Beast's face. The scratches healed instantly. Beating his fists against The Beast's shoulders, he tried to knee him in the groin, so The Beast would let go.

The Beast moved his lower torso, so Leon's knees hit his thighs, instead of his groin. When he felt Leon begin to weaken, due to air loss, he released Leon's aching head, so he could breathe.

Bringing his head up, Leon head-butted The Beast, and then spat in his face.

Shifting Leon's struggling form to one arm, The Beast ran his hand along his own face collecting the spittle. He licked the fluid from his fingers with a smile.

To reward Leon, The Beast backhanded Leon across the face.

Leon landed in a heap at The Beast's feet. Dragging his body backwards on his behind, he clutched his reddened cheek with one hand. Tears overflowing.

The Beast followed his retreat, purring, and removing his clothing.

Leon lay in shock. He knew, for The Beast, the blow had been a form of love tap. If The Beast had used his full strength, Leon's head wouldn't be on his shoulders. His head would be halfway across the room, embedded in the far wall.

Leon's futile escape ended, when his back hit the altar, which led to the dormant Keyhole.

Naked, The Beast grabbed Leon's kicking feet, dragging him back to the middle of the carpeted circle. He tore off Leon's boots and ripped down the front of his white shirt. Turning a screaming Leon over, he pulled down the back of the shirt, taking Leon's jacket with the cloth.

Viciously tearing all the belts away, the bits of Leon's pants floated to the carpet, like confetti, after The Beast had finished with them.

Spreading Leon's struggling legs wide, leaving him exposed, The Beast entered him in one brutal thrust. He didn't even let Leon adjust for the intrusion. He laid himself over Leon's shrieking, writhing body, and began to piston in and out of him, like the animal he had become.

Leon's eyes stared at the ceiling, filled with pain and shock.

The Beast's full body weight rested on top of Leon, so he could only wiggle a little. Hands spread out against its chest, attempting to push the creature away. Legs flopped on either side of thrusting hips.

Leon thought the abuse couldn't get any worse. He found he would be wrong.

Leon had taken Cid's advice to heart, preparing his insides for anal sex. He didn't know The Beast would use the preparation for an excuse to use him like a whore.

"What do we have here? Here I am, working so hard to make sure this punishment sticks, and you're not even bleeding. Hmm. Oh! I see. Kitten licked himself all ready, before he came to find me. Let's see how well."

When a rough Beast pulled himself out, Leon felt like most of his insides had been pulled out along with him.

The Beast then looked down to Leon's spasming thighs and entrance. Smiling in great delight, the creature thrust three dry fingers into Leon, to the second knuckle.

Screaming, Leon grabbed The Beast's wrist, with both hands. "No! Oh Gods! Don't! Don't! I…I only used one finger a little bit! You're going to tear me! I'll tear! Cloud! Please!"

The Beast ignored Leon's cries, continuing to work his three fingers in Leon's lubricated sphincter. Pushing them in deeper, he started to mercilessly prod Leon's prostate.

Leon began to wail, while still trying to wrestle The Beast's fingers out of his body.

Grinning, The Beast shoved his pinky in to join the others. Twisting the fingers in a circling motion, he ground the pads of his fingers against Leon's prostate.

Letting go of The Beast's wrist, Leon laid his arms out wide on the carpet, clawing at the rug with his nails. Head flung back with the power of constant wails.

Raising one of Leon's legs, The Beast placed the appendage on his shoulder, getting a better angle at Leon's prostate.

Leon shook his head back and forth. Tears flying with pleasure and pain.

With a malicious grin of triumph, The Beast shoved in the tip of his thumb.

Scream echoing throughout the whole castle, Leon lifted his upper body off the carpet. Penis shooting his sperm all over.

The Beast had leaned forward, so the sperm would hit his chest, stomach and torso. He rubbed the semen up his torso; then licked his fingers.

The content Beast didn't even look down, when he pulled the other soiled hand out of Leon's entrance.

Turning to his side, Leon began to sob, feeling dirty and degraded. Feeling The Beast's shadow blocking the light, he looked up with renewed terror.

The Beast's Mako-blue eyes, usually dimmed after sex, glowed fiery bright. In fact, their light had gotten even brighter.

If Leon could have gotten up, he would have attempted to run again.

The leering Beast gazed down at his scared Light. "Aww, Bad Kitten didn't like his punishment. I know what will make Kitty happy. I'll give him some milk. Kitties like milk."

Leon's brow furrowing with confusion, cleared with a despairing understanding, when The Beast grabbed hold of his hair with one firm hand.

Prying open his jaw with the other, The Beast shoved his erection halfway down Leon's gagging throat.

Laying on his back, Leon clawed The Beast's thighs, attempting to pull back, so he could breathe.

"Shhh. Relax, Kitten. Breathe through your nose. Suck with your mouth. If you bite me, you know I'll just regenerate, but you'll be punished even worse. Just let me feed you."

Bitterly crying, Leon started to suck The Beast's penis. He wanted to get the ordeal over with, but he couldn't breathe well, with his crying.

The Beast wasn't helping matters by holding Leon's head still. He made the act worse, by starting to thrust. He fisted the part that wasn't down Leon's aching throat so he could orgasm faster.

The Beast grinned. This would be great.

When The Beast came, which felt like forever to Leon, he held Leon's struggling head with both hands.

Leon gulped down what he could, but Cloud always came so much.

Leon felt his stomach bulge. He thought he would throw-up.

When The Beast let go, Leon thrust his whole body far away. He started to dry heave, but the fluid wouldn't come up. He laid back down on his side, in a fetal position, covering his face with his hands. "How could you do this to me, Cloud? I love you. I'm your Light. I'm not a whore. Don't make me hate you, Cloud. Don't make me hate myself for loving you."

The Beast removed Leon's hands from his face and licked his tears. Ah yes. His Light's tears seemed always so sweet.

The drops tasted even better when Leon suffered so. The terror and pain giving them a certain spiciness.

Leon gazed into The Beast's face, seeing no mercy for him. Eyes fell away in defeat.

Leon felt The Beast lay his body flat.

Raising weakened legs, so Leon could view his own knees, The Beast roughly entered Leon's screaming entrance. "Here we go. Now my Kitten's bleeding. Such sweet blood. Let's see if we can make him bleed more."

Leaning forward, The Beast clasped Leon's shoulder with one hand; right hip with the other. He pounded mercilessly.

The Beast's efforts being rewarded with Leon's increased rectal bleeding.

Leon lay like a broken doll, hoping for the hell to be over soon. He rose from his daze, when he felt his shoulder begin to fracture under The Beast's uncaring grip. He panicked, remembering what Cloud had informed him, way back when the couple had first met. How he broke the prostitutes' bones whenever he lost control at the Coliseum's whorehouse.

Oh Shiva! I'll die! I'll die! He's going to break me apart, and he won't stop until I'm dead! What do I do?

Gathering his thoughts, Leon focused on escape, while the mindless Beast above him rutted away.

Leon began to lose all hope. Hip also starting to ache, with the threat of imminent breakage, when he spied a familiar black wing fluttering out of the corner of his eye.

Leon thought about the plan and shrugged to himself. He would die soon anyway.

The Lion would not go down without a fight.

Gathering every last bit of strength left in his weakening body, Leon reared up with one shove, surprising the foolish Beast, who had thought he had made his Lion docile.

Grabbing The Beast's fluttering, fighting black wing with both hands, The Lion tore the wing off with one roaring pull.

The Beast screamed and screamed. Blood pouring out of his back.

Wheeling back, The Beast pulled rough out of Leon, making him scream in turn.

Crawling away from The Beast's thrashing body, Leon clutched the grisly prize to his chest. Oh yeah. He would frame this baby. Nail it front and center on their bedroom wall, so he could point to it, whenever the Beast even thought about treating him like a cheap whore again.

Leon stopped crawling away, when The Beast's screams stuttered to pained breathing, through clenched teeth. Curling his lower body up to his chest, he looked behind his shoulder.

Cloud, not The Beast, laid belly-down on the floor; blood still leaking from the fast healing wound. Eyes dim and clear. The orbs searched the room until they found a grinning, triumphant Lion. "Fuck, Squall. You sure know how to prove a point."

A weak Leon held up his trophy. "Fuck yeah! I was raised by the Captain!"

Closing weary eyes, Cloud began to weep. "Squall, just get far away from me. I'm dirt. I'm lower than dirt. I'll find a way to die on my own. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anything. Get away while you can."

Cloud continued to weep, not heeding his surroundings, remembering the time before his Light, with his unselfish love, came into his bleak and hopeless life. He had his one chance. He had it all. He blew it. Death would be too good for him.

Cloud's eyes shot open in surprise, when he felt Leon's cheek nestled against his.

Both their bodies lay broken and bleeding

Leon had crawled all the way back. "Shut up, and listen to your Light. I never give up. Ever. Remember? Just stay with me, love. Just stay."

Cloud cried and cried, while his wound healed. His Light's kisses, and whispered reassurances, strengthening his journey back to sanity.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This will not be the FF7 Tifa, who I actually enjoyed. This will be the Stalker! Tifa the KH2 developers made her into. A phenomenal fighter, but a woman who can't take a hint. Short chapter, but leading up to KH2. Finally! Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 11/14/08. Revised 4/9/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Sorry No-Wing Chocobo betrayed by all. "All" not sorry in the least. Quickie Non-Shotgun Wedding

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Wing Preserving, Stalker! Tifa and Stalker! Tifa-inspired Angst, Killer Lion, Foreshadowing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 8 - Seventh Heaven**

XXX

Two days later, Cid opened the door to a contrite, somewhat sane, Cloud holding Leon, bridal-style in his arms. "Cid? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I swear I would never harm Vincent. You know that. I've sworn to Squall that I'll leave Sephiroth alone. Squall's the one thing that matters to me. The only thing.

Leon clutched his hard-won trophy fiercely in his old, torn bloody shirt.

Cid tipped a weary gaze over to his adopted son.

Leon had the intense Lion glare on his face that Cid hadn't seen since he had first arrived in Traverse Town.

Moving forward from the door, Cid came up to Leon. Raising a large, scarred hand, he began to gently pet Leon's long brown locks. "Watcha got there, Son? Let the Captain get a gander at it. Come on. Let'er go."

Leon clutched the prize even tighter to his chest. However, with Cid's continued petting, he released the bundle to Cid's held out hand.

When a careful Cid unwrapped the blood-dried, torn off black wing, he almost dropped the bundle. His shocked gaze moved from the wing to Leon's triumphant stare. "Guess I got me some preservin' to do. Don't I?"

Shaking his head up and down, Leon wrapped his now free arms around Cloud's neck, holding on tight.

Sighing, Cloud looked into Cid's knowing eyes.

"Get mah boy inside, and say sorry to the Missus. Ain't angry atcha no more, since ya got pussy-whipped but good."

Cloud's eyebrows lifted at Cid's declaration. Thinking about the truth of it, he allowed himself a small laugh. Walking past Cid, he entered the place the couple called Home.

XXX

Sitting at the tea-table, unread book in hand, Vincent looked at the couple with bemusement, when Cloud walked past him to their shared room.

Once he had awoken, yesterday, Vincent had pondered Cloud's Darkness-ruled reactions. After a long discussion with Cid, he forgave Cloud's ill-spoken transgressions.

Too many times to count, in his long life, Vincent had allowed the Darkness, and demons, to rule over him. For that, his Light had suffered immense hardship, without a word of regret, or condemnation.

History seems to have repeated itself with Cloud and Leon.

When Cid came in soon after, and showed him what Leon had done to Cloud to bring him back, Vincent chuckled. Yes, someone learned well from the ol' Captain. He would worry no more about Leon keeping Cloud's Beast in line. Now, all his worries hinged on his wayward son; who wandered lost in the Darkness.

Vincent grimaced. Lost.

Vincent had come to know his son, Sephiroth, well these past two years. His son had come to love and trust him, but Sephiroth had still been misled by the Darkness.

Vincent acknowledged what Cloud's Beast had predicted would come true.

Sephiroth would come eventually to Vincent. More important, he would sense Cloud, and come to battle him.

Leon may be able to control Cloud for now. But if Cloud felt him to be in any danger, he would not hesitate striking back with deadly force.

Of course, Sephiroth and Cloud would both regenerate to battle once again, but the warriors would enter the realm of Darkness before that happened.

Vincent knew, all too well, what would happen to Cloud without his Light to guide him. A red-eyed gaze rested on his whistling husband, who now readied Cloud's old wing for preservation. His job, as friend, husband, and father, would be making sure this battle never came to be.

XXX

Time for afternoon tea had come around again, when Cloud exited the bedroom.

Aerith, Yuffie, and Cid looked on, while Cloud got down on both knees in front of Vincent, begging for forgiveness.

Sighing, Vincent shook his head. "Cloud, I know better than anyone the Darkness's seductive pull. The Darkness uses words to mesmerize; its power to control, and wreak havoc. I have already forgiven you. Do not prove your promise to me, of leaving my son alone, but to your Light. He shall be the one, having to always heal, and ultimately forgive you."

Vincent delivered this last statement, with a loving gaze, to a teary-eyed Captain.

Helping a grateful Cloud back up, Aerith served him a warming cup of tea.

Shaking her head at the drama of it all, Yuffie resumed shoving cake down her gourd.

Aerith waited a little bit before she brought up Leon's condition. She already knew Cloud had healed.

"He had the foresight to bring the elixirs he had saved up from when I lived at the Coliseum. The elixirs healed him physically. He's mentally tired, and still a little upset. It helped when I promised to leave Sephiroth alone."

Aerith nodded with a gentle smile. "Don't worry, Cloud. Now that I know Zack's heart's with Sephiroth. I feel safe. I always felt so safe with Zack."

Cloud's eyes gazed into his tea. "Yeah. I always did too."

Looking back at Aerith, Cloud brought up the question that had bothered him, since being informed Zack's heart beat in Sephiroth's body. "Aerith? Squall told me, back at the castle, that while Sora had Kairi's heart, she seemed almost catatonic. How could Zack talk to you in the Lifestream, if his heart lived within me all that time?"

Sparkling green eyes sliding to the side, Aerith tilted her head, in the gamine way she always did. "Well, Zack Fair was always special. To tell you the truth, I can't explain it myself. Whenever I brought it up to him, he would just giggle, and start doing squats again."

Cloud began to giggle himself. Zack Fair, the Squat Master! Oh! How he missed him!

XXX

While this small family had a rare sweet moment, an unholy terror made its way to their innocent front door.

The sturdy, multiple-spelled, wooden door imploded with great fury, when a side-kick, with a scary, familiar KYAAH!, had been delivered.

When the smoke cleared, the startled group viewed the figure, walking with a firm stride through the now-wrecked doorway. "Cloud! My love! Your long wait's over! Your Light's here!

The men could hardly contain their shrieks of horror.

The Beast in Cloud, who had before professed to fear nothing, gave a yelp of distress, running to hide in the hidden recesses of Cloud's subconscious.

A serene Aerith walked to her old friend. Giving her a warm hug, she then exited out the open door.

Yuffie scampering, at her excess ninja gait, behind her.

A frantic Cid grabbed the full teakettle in its rocket cozy, holding the teakettle to his chest like a baby.

Vincent hurriedly wrapped them both in his red cape. The cape then swished out the door, flying up to the safety of the roof.

Watching all this in dismay, Cloud felt betrayed, until he felt an innate sense of Doom come over him.

Cloud's scared gaze slid from former girlfriend, Tifa Lockheart, to his true Light, Leon, who now looked at Cloud with the Glare of Death he had only seen, so far, in the Coliseum. "Cloud? Who's she, and why does she say she's your Light?"

Cloud wished right now for Cerberus to come and stomp his head again. Maybe a couple of times for the damage to stick. But like always, his wishes never came true.

XXX

"Uh. Um. Ha. Hey, Tifa. Thought you had planned on staying in Halloween Town for a while."

Tifa giggled, leaping into Cloud's arms.

Cloud swore to himself that he caught her out of reflex. Looking over to an incensed Leon, he shook a frantic head.

Making matters worse, Tifa then rubbed her breasts against Cloud's chest. "Mayor Jack said he didn't need my help anymore. He paid my way here, and everything, shoving me on the Gummi Ship himself. Oh, whatever ! I missed you too much! Besides, you said it yourself. You need your Light. Well! Here I am!"

Leon began to growl. He had enough. He cleared his throat, so Tifa's surprised head turned his way. "Actually, I'M CLOUD'S LIGHT. My name's Leon. And you are?"

Releasing a choking Cloud, Tifa looked Leon up and down, with a challenging smirk. "My name's Tifa Lockheart. As for YOU being Cloud's Light, I don't see any wedding ring on your finger."

Leon looked perturbed. Sure, he and Cloud believed themselves a married couple, and he called Cloud his husband.

Cloud had referred himself to be Leon's husband, since he had accepted Cloud's pledge, that first day in the Coliseum Inn.

However, the couple never had a ceremony.

Leon didn't know you needed one to be a person's Light.

But thinking back, Cid had stated that Vincent, his demons, and he had gotten officially married by a preacher on his deathbed, after Vincent's demon, Chaos had slipped him some blood.

Gay marriage had always been legal in several of the Worlds that Leon knew.

The thought just never occurred to Leon to ask Cloud.

An unsure Leon looked at a frowning Cloud. Perhaps he had been waiting for Cloud to propose, but he never did.

Spying the doubt she had wittingly sown, crossing her arms under mighty breasts, Tifa decided to nip this fairytale in the bud. "As for some silly sort of vow Cloud might have given you, he vowed to me, when we were children, that he would always come and save me, if I was ever in any trouble. I'd say that beats anything he ever said to you."

Leon's gaze remained frozen on Cloud's face. No denial to be found.

Leon swore he wouldn't cry from this woman's hurtful words. The unknown betrayal bringing up all of his old abandonment issues. He would be left all alone again, and he had just gotten Cloud back.

Like the Light wished to give the Lion hope, the black feathers from Cloud's torn-off wing caught the corner of Leon's eye.

Cid had left the wing near the stove to dry.

Leon's eyes gazed at the wing, squinting with determination. He had brought Cloud back from the Darkness twice. HIS love and HIS light.

Leon matched Tifa's uncompromising glare with his own. So what, if Cloud had proposed or not? Cloud was HIS mate.

Leon snarled. A Lion always killed any disturbers to his Pride.

Realizing where this "discussion" had been going, Cloud moved fast, between the two fighters. "Tifa? Why…uh…why don't you catch up with the others outside. I need to speak with my MATE in OUR room alone. Okay?"

Tifa shrugged like the situation didn't matter to her. In her opinion, she had already won. "Okay, Cloud. Take your time. Your Light will be outside!"

When Tifa sauntered out the open doorway, Cloud caught a snarling Leon, while he leaped at her confident back. "That fucking, condescending bitch! Your Light! Let me go, Cloud! I'll just kill her a little! I swear! Let me go!"

Drawing a struggling, clawing Lion back into their room, Cloud kicked the door closed with his boot.

XXX

"Who the fuck does she think she is?" A growling Leon had been thrown, by Cloud, onto the bed.

Cloud attempted to rub Leon's arm. "My old girlfriend before our planet got destroyed."

Leon would have none of it. Slapping Cloud's hand away, he gave him a view of his back. "Why does she think she's still your girlfriend?"

Resting his forearms on his thighs, Cloud laid his forehead in his hands. Thank the Gods for regeneration, because he would need it. "Well, technically, she sorta still is."

Cloud's head hit the opposite wall, with the force of Leon's mighty kick. "You didn't tell her!"

Taking the abuse, Cloud turned around; then slid down the wall. Sitting on the floor, he faced his irate Light. "Sorta skipped my mind."

"I'll fucking skip your mind! We've been together for over two years, my self-professed HUSBAND. Your old bitch of a girlfriend still thinks you're her property!"

"You don't understand. I've talked to her, until I'm blue in the face, that I just think of her like a friend now. I've told her she's not my Light."

"Did you tell that slightly important fact to her face?"

Cloud couldn't look Leon in the eye. "I wrote it to her in a letter."

"A letter! You fucking coward! You're just scared of her!"

Cloud rested his forehead on bent knees. "You don't know her, Squall. You saw how everyone else ran out. She's scary. Hell, even Vincent's demons are terrified of her."

Statement met by silence, Cloud ventured a glance up, to see a stone-faced Leon. "Did you sleep with her, Cloud? Did you make the same vows to her that you did to me? Why shouldn't she think she's your Light? We're not married, like Cid and Vincent. She's right, you know. Technically, you're free."

Cloud's heart quailed, when the Lion roared. "And if you're free, then so the fuck am I!"

Grabbing onto a fleeing Leon's waist, Cloud held on for dear life. "Please! Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I swear we're going to get married! I had planned on proposing! I just needed to get control of my Beast first! Don't leave me! Gods! Squall! Don't leave me!

Wriggling like a wet kitten, scratching Cloud's hands, Leon elbowed his head. "Bullshit! I bring you back from the Darkness every fucking time. What's my reward? I get shit on! I'm going back to Traverse Town. You stay here with 'Your Light.'

Cloud, with Mako-blue tears streaming down his face, refused to relinquish his hold. He somehow knew, if he let go, Leon would never come back.

Out of pure desperation, Cloud picked Leon up, throwing him on the bed. He then laid his full body weight on top of him, so Leon couldn't move. "Squall! If you leave me, I'll die! I swear! I'll die! You love me! Remember! In the castle, over and over, you swore you loved me, and would never give up! Don't let her do this to us!"

Leon covered his face with his hands, so Cloud couldn't see him cry. He didn't deserve that right now.

"Squall? Baby, let me see you." Cloud kissed Leon's hands, and the parts of his face that lay uncovered.

Cloud then leaned in to hear Leon's muffled words. "I haven't given up on us! You never had any trust in us to begin with. You're ashamed of me!"

Cloud rested his forehead on Leon's. "Squall. You've got it wrong. I'm ashamed of me. I didn't propose because I wanted you to be free to escape from me. Once we're married, I'd never let you go, even if you begged and pleaded with me. You'd be mine forever."

Moving his hands away from his face, Leon gazed at the sincerity in Cloud's. "Cloud, I want to be yours forever. I survived your Beast and brought him to heel. Sephiroth isn't a threat anymore. Will the fear of one woman keep us apart? If it does, I'm gone."

After licking his Light's tears, Cloud kissed both eyelids.

Sitting up, Cloud brought Leon along with him, until the couple stood together. Taking Leon's hand, he guided him out their bedroom door, through the open doorway, to the small crowd of girls outside.

Cid and Vincent still drank their tea from the relative safety of the roof.

Tifa bounced at the sight of Cloud, but then frowned, when she beheld his joined hands with Leon.

"Tifa? Squall's right. He's my one true Light. We've decided we're going to have Cid fly us to Twilight Town tomorrow to get married. Isn't that right, Squall?" Cloud looked back to a beaming Leon, who nodded his affirmation.

Pulling Leon into a tight embrace, a relieved Cloud once again sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the Gods, for gifting him with this man.

Leon accepted Cloud's embrace with joy and happiness. Alone. He would never be alone again.

Leon ventured a glance at the furious face of Tifa Lockheart. He knew their marriage wouldn't stop a woman like her. He'd have to ensure certain measures to keep his Chocobo by his side.

Thank the Gods for Estharian Sorceresses and their forbidden magic.

Thank the Gods for his free-thinking late father, who kept records of all the spells.

Leon smiled, tightening the embrace around his husband. He had planned on waiting, until Hollow Bastion lay under their control, but the spell would take about a year to complete its work.

By then, Tifa will see that she had lost the war, before the battle had even started.

XXX

The next morning, Cid flew the happy couple to Twilight Town.

Vincent stayed at the house, just in case Sephiroth showed up.

Tifa, for obvious reasons, also stayed at the house.

Aerith and Yuffie came along to be witnesses.

The wedding had been the quickest and simplest one Cloud and Leon could find.

The ceremony, itself, consisted of the two of them, in front of the portly Justice of the Peace, exchanging plain golden rings, while stuttering through their wedding vows.

Cloud kept casing the environment; expecting an attack.

Leon kissed Cloud over and over.

Even the Beast seemed content. Kitten now belonged to him. Death would come to any who would attempt to take his mate away.

The small wedding party had a small dinner, before the family got on the Gummi Ship, back to Hollow Bastion.

Cloud and Leon exchanging deep kisses, between forkfuls of their wedding cake.

On the flight back, Leon squirreled away from a grasping Cloud, to sit next to Aerith for a moment. "Aerith? I need your help with something life-changing. I believe with Merlin's help, it can be accomplished, but it won't work without you."

Aerith wrinkled her nose. Wrapping her little brother in her arms, she whispered in his ear. "Remember that Puppy I told you about a long time ago?"

Leon, began to shake, with the memory. He hadn't thought of this plan, until he had defeated Cloud's Beast in the castle.

Aerith had known all this time. And Cloud said that Tifa was the scary one.

Aerith moved away, so she could look into Leon's awe-struck face. "Big sisters never lie to their little brothers. Right?"

Leon brought Aerith back in for another tight hug. "Thank you, Sis! It will make Cloud so happy! I just know it will!

Aerith smiled to herself; gladly hugging her little brother back. Cloud wouldn't be the only happy one. She laughed, hearing a familiar answering giggle in her mind.

Zack Fair had always been special.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: In my opinion, Sorceress Adel was a man. That's right. Esther was ruled by a drag queen. I've done that Final Boss Battle in FF8 a couple of times. I know of what I speak. I've been going over the cut-scenes for Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden for the next KH2 chapter(s). Man! I thought Chap. 4 for KH1 was a hard incorporation! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I hope. Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 11/17/08. Revised 4/9/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Chocobo denies Lion. Kitten Claw! Sister reveals all. Power of the Puppy Compels Lion! Love of a Son, in more ways than one.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, Foreshadowing, Seducing Bondage Squall, SEX, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Vincent's Demons and his Angst, Sephiroth in flesh/Zack in heart, Old Estharian Sex Change

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 9 - For The Love Of A Child**

XXX

Two weeks after Cloud and Leon's wedding, the honeymoon period came to an abrupt end.

"I'm sorry, Squall. The answer's no, and the answer will always be no. No matter how many times you ask me." Cloud adjusted the new wolf's head shoulder guard, while he spoke to Leon, who laid naked in bed.

With Cloud's wing now gone, the couple had decided to purchase Cloud a whole new fighting wardrobe in Twilight Town, when the pair got married.

Except for the protective skirt, which he found silly and impractical, Leon approved of the all-black ensemble, especially the way the sleeveless sweater left Cloud's right shoulder bare. He just wished that the bite mark he left, every time he passed by, would stay.

Cloud walked over to a pouting Leon. Sitting down, he rubbed Leon's cheek with one hand.

Leon rested his face in Cloud's palm, closing his eyes. "Aerith and Merlin both told you I would be perfectly safe! The Old Estharian spell would take a whole year to take effect. When the spell's done, I can have your babies just like a woman could. In fact, I would do it even better! Aerith told you she would form a permanent protective covering over my womb, because I'm not enhanced, but our babies will be."

Cloud knew his turn had come, to patrol the perimeter, but Leon always made leaving difficult.

Taking hold of Cloud's hands, Leon placed them on his lower stomach, where his womb would be. "Cloud, I want to have your babies more than anything."

Leon nuzzled Cloud's nose; brushing Cloud's lips with his own. "I want to feel them grow inside. A part of me, and a part of you, together. New little lights to make the Worlds a better place to live in."

Cloud rubbed Leon's stomach; licking the offered lips.

Leon usually felt too prudish to seduce. But when he did, the enticement proved deadly for Cloud. He could stab him with Lionheart right now, and Cloud would receive the wound with a smile, probably asking for more.

Unfortunate for Leon, he had sated the Beast three times already that morning.

For once, Cloud had his true wits about him. He pulled away.

Spying that Cloud's Mako-blue eyes remained dim, Leon's pout returned, realizing he had failed the mission once again.

Pushing Cloud away, Leon rolled onto his side. He exposed a toned back, and shapely buttocks, to his husband's hungry view. If Cloud could go on repeatedly denying his one wish, he could just leave for his stupid patrol, with an erection and blue balls.

The naughty Kitten inside sniggered, hoping Cloud would fall down, in front of everyone in the family room before he left. That would teach him to forbid the Lion anything!

Cloud ran the flat of his hand, from the back of Leon's head, to the small of his back. "I'm sorry, Squall. The chance's too risky. The Gods, themselves, could come down, reassuring me you would get through the pregnancies alive and healthy; my answer would still be the same."

"Everything's good now, with just the two of us. Look at Cid and Vincent. They've been married for over ten years. They're doing fine without children of their own. Cid said Vincent could, because of Hojo's doings, but he feels the exact same way. We wouldn't survive, if you, or Vincent died."

When Cloud's hand got near Leon's rear end, his forearm met with sharp kitten claws, and then a rough push away to the shoulder. Taking the hint, he rose back up, and walked to the bedroom door. "I'll be back at lunchtime. You know what'll happen if you deny me a second time, Kitten."

Leon snarled to Cloud's back. "Yeah! Come back for lunch! Give me time to sharpen my claws!"

Cloud half-turned to Leon, with an incredulous look in his face. Bad Kitten knew better than to challenge the Beast. The fight only made his spanking worse. "I'll hold you to that, Kitten. Get the elixirs ready."

Cloud opened the door. Walking out, he closed the door, to the sound of his now-hissing Light.

XXX

A still upset Leon entered the family room. After getting a warm cup of tea, he sat down next to Aerith on the couch. "Aerith, I've tried everything I know of to convince Cloud these last two weeks. I even used the old seduction techniques the teachers taught us at Balamb Garden. The moves just seem to rile up Cloud's Beast even more. I don't think the Traverse Town shop holds enough elixirs in stock, for what Cloud's planning to do to me, at lunchtime."

Aerith perused one of the books of Old Estharian spells, that Merlin had given her to study, for Leon's transformation. Though she knew of the difficulties Leon had with convincing Cloud, she continued her study, like the transformation continued on schedule.

Turning a page in the old tome, and marking her place with a forefinger, Aerith turned a relaxed gaze to her little brother. "Have you tried bondage?"

Leon spit the tea back into the cup. Some of the drink going up his nose. "Whuh. What?"

Reaching up, ruffling his hair, Aerith leaned in to whisper in Leon's ear. "SOLDIERS enjoy it when their mate gets tied up. It turns them on for some reason. Personally, I think the thrill's another one of those weird Mako things."

"How you would know this?"

Clutching the book to her chest, Aerith fluttered her eyes. "A Puppy once told me."

"How would this puppy know?"

Laying the book down on her lap, Aerith regarded Leon like he was a dummy. "He had been a First-Class SOLDIER, and always too curious for his own good."

Digesting the information, Leon remembered what Aerith had informed him before. He thought back to the Secret Waterway, and more recent, in the Gummi Ship, returning from the wedding. His hands began to shake. The tea inside sloshing. "Aerith? This puppy that you've been referring to all this time… Would his name be Zack Fair?"

Aerith removed the teacup from Leon's loosening hold. She then grasped her little brother's hands, and waited for him to look into her eyes. "Well, it was. But after your transformation, when you have that first beautiful baby, his name will be Zack Strife."

Gasping, Leon pulled Aerith in for a warm hug. Face filled with shock and amazement.

Aerith laughed, when Leon tightened his embrace, and she began to lose her breath. "Although, you could give him a different first name. I was always partial to Zack."

Releasing her, so she could breathe, Leon held her upper arms. "All this time, he's been waiting?"

Aerith nodded, smiling, with tears filming sparkling green eyes. "The wait hasn't been easy. It's taken everything I know of to keep him patient. He's been watching over Cloud and you all this time. He keeps saying he's gonna have the most best, most beautiful Mommy in all the Worlds. These past two weeks he's been calling Cloud a stupid, stubborn Chocobo-head for making him wait longer. He spoke to me this morning, saying that he's sending you help."

Leon blinked, in confusion, through his tears. "Oh Shiva. He didn't mean Tifa. Did he?"

Aerith laughed, covering her mouth. "No. He shrieked in horror, like the rest of the men. The funny thing being that Zack barely knew her. He just went by Cloud's reaction."

Aerith directed Leon's attention over, to an oblivious card-playing Cid and Vincent, in his Hellmasker demon form. "He said it would help them too. He's so sorry that Vincent's been suffering. But Vincent, more than anyone, knows how hard it can be to talk reason to Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth!"

Looking back to a distressed Leon, Aerith enclosed him in a calming embrace. "He has Zack's heart. Remember? Everything will be fine."

Aerith held Leon's face between her fingers, so she would have his full attention. "Sephiroth will help. In the end, though, Zack's trusting in you to make this work. I know you're not his Mommy yet, but he's already calling you that, and I can't get him to stop."

Placing his hands over Aerith's, Leon smiled. True joy running through his whole body. "He doesn't have to. Mommy will make it all happen. He'll be here in my arms, before he knows it. Stupid, stubborn Chocobo-head doesn't stand a chance now."

Aerith kissed Leon on the forehead. When he released her hands, she resumed reading her book, like the whole dramatic scene had never happened.

Leon glanced, at all the old books around him, with a watery sniff. "Umm. Aerith? Merlin probably understands every language in all the Worlds. I learned to read Old Estharian, because my Dad wanted me someday to become an Ambassador, to the surrounding countries for Esthar. How can you read this archaic language?"

Glancing up, Aerith smiled a little mysterious smile. "I'm special. Don't you know?"

Grinning, Leon kissed the side of his big sister's head. "Yeah, Sis. You are. Thanks for everything."

Aerith nudged him with her elbow. "It'll be lunchtime soon. Remember what I said?"

Leon sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I don't think I have anything I can use."

Aerith closed her book with a thump and a sigh. Then, not even looking at Leon, she tugged at one of her little brother's many belts, surrounding his slim waist, with a small hand.

Looking down, Leon raised his eyebrows with sudden comprehension. "Oooohhh. I get it now!"

Aerith giggled, shaking her head at the silliness of men, and went back to reading her book.

XXX

Cloud tromped into the House, more broody than ever.

Leon's morning curse had come to fruition.

Cloud could hardly walk through his patrol. Gods, did he miss his wing! He had to make do with giant leaps, which helped, but ached like a bitch when he landed.

The Beast didn't help in the least. Constant pornographic images of a moaning, groaning, screaming, and helpless Kitten filtered through Cloud's scattered mind. He growled.

Leon held enough control over the Beast, after the castle incident, not to let things get too out of hand. However, spankings still seemed a daily occurrence.

Cloud felt certain Leon would sometimes be deliberately naughty, when he hadn't been spanked in a while. However, The Lion would never own up to the accusation.

Cloud stomped past his lunch-eating family, without a glance, to their amused reactions. He had an appointment, with a Bad Kitten, that had to be met. Food could wait.

Cloud opened his bedroom door, then slammed, and locked it behind him.

Looking up from his brooding, Cloud viewed his Light, with his back facing him.

Standing barefoot, wearing nothing but skin-tight leather pants, Leon struggled with something in front of him. His tanned skin had a light sheen from a recent shower.

When Leon half-turned towards a mesmerized Cloud, instead of hissing, his Kitten gifted him with a sweet smile. His long, brown hair had dried into light curly waves, all around his enchanting face, giving the countenance a slight halo.

Leon then turned completely around, so Cloud could see, what he struggled with. "Cloud? I practiced some of my old SEED tie-down techniques, and it sorta back-fired on me. Can you help me take this tight belt off?'

Taking one look at the studded black belt, wrapped tight around Leon's forearms and wrists, Cloud's brain, which held all his common sense shut down.

The true Captain of Cloud's body, housed between his legs, reared up. From its painful erect position, Little Chocobo reported for duty.

Gazing at Cloud, lower lip sticking out, blue-gray eyes full of innocence, Leon held the belted arms in front of him, in a supplicating posture.

Glancing up at the preserved black wing, nailed over their bed to remind The Beast of his place, a smirking Cloud made his move on a naughty Kitten. Moving closer, he placed strong hands on Leon's slim hips.

Leon's pants naturally lowered with gravity, showing The Beast's fiery gaze, the light hairs that dappled right above Leon's obvious cloth-encased erection. No underwear.

The Beast purred its approval. "Depends, Kitten. How bad do you want the belt off? With the way you've been treating me, I think we should keep it permanently on."

Cloud ran one gloved finger along Leon's almost-feminine neckline. "All we need is a collar."

The Lion would usually protest at once. Leon internally reprimanded himself. Stick to the mission plan! He had a brave baby boy, waiting in the Lifestream, depending on him.

The scheming Kitten had instantly caught on, when he had gotten rid of Cloud's annoying common sense, by showcasing his belted arms. Good, ol' Aerith. Now he just had to seal the deal. If he couldn't complete this simple part of the plan, then he wasn't worthy of his SEED title.

Leon swayed his body flush, to a deep breathing Beast's, and nestled in to whisper in his ear. "I'll do anything, Cloud. It's starting to ache."

Kitten licked Cloud's ear. "So bad."

Cloud had been killed by Heartless, during his patrol, and been sent to Squall Heaven. He had no other explanation. "Sh-sh--ow me, Kitten."

To Cloud's utter surprise, and The Beast's everlasting delight, Leon gracefully got down on his knees, and began to rub his nose against Cloud's crotch.

Cloud felt shocked by Leon's next muffled request. "Cloud, it's lunchtime. I'm so hungry. My stomach's empty. Can your Kitten have some milk?"

Thank the Gods for regeneration. Cloud knew, for sure, his heart just imploded inside his chest. "S-s-s-ure, Squall. Uh. J-j-j-ust g-g-give me a m-m-inute."

Leon rose back up and sat on the bed.

Grinning, Cloud attempted to unfasten his new pants. The grin faded, becoming a snarl of utter frustration, when the new zipper became stuck.

Gods! Gods! Cloud applied all of his enhanced strength, but the zipper must have been fashioned by celibate demons, because the fastening wouldn't budge.

The Beast glanced up, with a sad whine, when he heard Kitten giggling at him.

Leon had demurely covered his mouth with his fingers. Eyes dancing with laughter. "You know. You do have five more pairs, and Cid's making another delivery run to Twilight Town in two days, if we need to buy you more."

Cloud couldn't help but smile in return. He loved his Light so much.

His mate's unspoken consent still glowing in the air, with great delight, Cloud ripped his pants off with one hand.

Leon went from giggles to downright belly-laughter.

Bending on his knees, Cloud embraced his bound love. "I love you, Squall. So much."

Rubbing his cheek against Cloud's, Leon then nuzzled his nose. "Your Kitten's still hungry, love."

Cloud gulped, resting back on the bed, like Leon directed him. He did this for Leon all the time, because the Beast loved his Kitten's taste, and the act also got Cloud off.

Leon almost never did this, because he found the position somewhat demeaning. To be frank, he also thought the taste kind of gross. For his baby boy's sake, he would do the sexual act till the cows came home. Good thing Cloud couldn't read his mind.

Unknown to Cloud, Leon had been working on his gag reflex for the last two weeks. He had planned to use the action for a last-ditch attempt. Well, here lay the last ditch.

Steadying Cloud's erection between both hands, Leon licked up and down the shaft. He then mouthed the head a couple of times, sipping the weeping droplets.

After getting his breathing down, Leon enclosed his mouth around the lower half of Cloud's penis. When Cloud least expected it, he breathed in, swallowing most of the rest.

Cloud half-reared up, clutching at Leon's now rapid bobbing head. He could voice only sounds of Ah! Ah! Ah!, in concert with Leon's deep swallows around his erection. He couldn't even blink. Eyes wide open with shock.

Leon rested his upper body weight on forearms, placed under his chest, between Cloud's quaking thighs. He fondled Cloud's tightening balls, with his fingers, sucking harder, while continuing to swallow.

Leon wanted to make sure, all of Cloud's attention centered around his needy groin, when he asked him the all-important question.

When Cloud orgasmed, his scream shattered the window in their room.

Outside, in the family room, Cid dropped his cards all over the floor with a curse.

Hellmasker growled, because he had been winning.

Aerith giggled with joy, clapping her hands. She heard triumphant crowing in her brain from the Puppy. Good Mommy! Zack would be getting out of jail!

Tifa looked down, at the sandwich she had been tearing apart, resuming her maniacal plotting.

Yuffie didn't even glance up. Food still lay uneaten on the table. She had to make sure none would get stolen.

Cloud had been attempting to catch his breath, neurons misfiring, when Leon laid the clincher on him. "Cloud? I love you. Can I have your baby? He's been waiting for us for so long."

A serene Cloud inhaled in and breathed out. He closed his eyes with a sleepy smile. "Sure thing, Squall. Just don't spill it."

By the time Cloud realized what he had agreed to, his bad, naughty Kitten had jumped up with a whoop. Grabbing the spare clothes he had stowed on the chair, with miraculously unbound hands, he ran out of the bedroom to tell his big sister the good news.

Raising himself up to a half-sitting position, Cloud gazed down at his forlorn, limp Little Chocobo. "Thanks a lot, Buddy."

Flopping back down on the bed, Cloud placed gloved hands over his face.

Cid had been right.

Chocobo-head had been pussy-whipped but good.

XXX

Excited, Aerith and Leon went over the transformation spell sequence that would take place the very next day.

Cloud sat next to them, trying not to look panicked, and painfully failing.

Tifa had stomped out, having to patrol; not interested in her rival's doings anyway.

Yuffie sharpened her Mighty Shuriken. She had some new moves learned, from way back at the Coliseum. However, it had taken her this long to gain the proper control and strength to perform them. She couldn't wait to try the new moves on the wandering Heartless.

Cid and Hellmasker continued to play Gin Rummy, probably continuing, throughout the night.

With Sephiroth still not found, Vincent had become more despondent than usual. At times like these, he would retreat into the comfy, Gothic castle the demons had set-up in his brain.

Each demon had their own wing, decorated to their individual tastes, with a gigantic main common room, where the inhabitants would reside most of the day.

A huge window, running along one wall, showed the demons inside, the various goings on outside, through Vincent's physical eyes.

All the walls of the castle stood, lined from floor to ceiling, with thick books of Vincent's dreams and memories.

The demons, who could read, would wile away the days reading through them.

Chaos had chosen, for his personal wing, the part of the castle that held all the Turk-related books.

Cid understood, at times like these, Vincent needed his space. He would just wait it out, like all the other times before.

The rest of the residents of the House got along fine with the demons, once everyone realized the demons acted docile with Cid around.

"Why the fuck shouldn't they be?" Cid would always retort. "Ah'm their husband too!"

At this moment; Hellmasker knocking the table to signify he had won again, and Cid cursing up a storm, Vincent gazed into the gigantic fireplace in his mental castle, while laying on a bearskin rug.

A comforting Galian Beast lay wrapped around his Host, nuzzling his forehead, and licking ever-falling tears away.

Death Gigas, since he couldn't read, sat by them, staring into the fire. Whenever he would appear to the others, he would sit on the floor, and Yuffie would read stories from Merlin's books to him. Yuffie would always be his best friend.

Chaos brewed, still infuriated, that the Firstborn got away from him. He may be of the Host's blood, but Chaos considered Sephiroth HIS son. A true Prince of the Darkness, worthy of carrying on Chaos' power. He allowed himself a little smile. His baby did sing pretty, though. He would have to ask Sephiroth to sing again, once he had been found.

When more knocking had been heard, most of the family looked towards the card players, who looked at each other. It wasn't them. The two hadn't started a new game.

The family turned towards the door. The knocking became more persistent.

Grabbing the Venus Gospel, Cid walked to the door. He knew, in his bones, who the person would be. However, he didn't know what kind of condition his "son" would be in. He carefully opened the door.

A wide-eyed Sephiroth filled the doorway, blocking the twilight outside. "Father? Where is my father? He is hurting. Zackary says he hurts so much. Where is he?"

Moving out of Sephiroth's way, Cid backed up towards his other children collected on the couch. Yuffie having joined the rest.

Vincent had transformed, once he heard his lost baby's voice, but he felt too weak to stand. He held out his arms to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth strode over to Vincent. Getting down on his knees, he laid his head on Vincent's shoulder.

Vincent's face beamed with a true smile; he ran fingers through his found son's beautiful hair. He held Sephiroth in a warm embrace, which Sephiroth returned, being careful of his strength. "You've grown more wings of Darkness, My Own. They are very pretty. Chaos approves."

Sephiroth nodded "Zackary informed me he enjoys the sight of wings. He finds them pleasing. He calls me his dark angel, when I do good, and he speaks with me. Will he find me pleasing when he's finally here, Father?"

"Of course, he will. He loves you now. Does he not?"

Sephiroth frowned, and harrumphed, sounding at that moment just like Vincent. "Only when I please him. When I do not, he hurts me with his silence, and his Light. I do not mean to let the Darkness lead me astray, but I'm still so confused. I became so lost without your guidance, Father. Do not leave me again. In his current state, Zackary can only help me so far."

Tightening his embrace around his son, Vincent kissed his furrowed forehead. He gazed adoring at his son's saddened face.

Sephiroth's forehead and eyes were Lucrecia, but the rest was all Vincent.

Vincent had been so blind not to have seen the resemblance before. The mistake had cost him dear. "No fear, My Own. With My Light and I, you shall stay. The Captain has accepted you. You are kin. Respect his leadership, and he shall steer your journey well, like he has always steered mine."

Sephiroth moved away, to look into his father's wise face, and wrinkled his nose. "But Father… he is so…coarse…and common."

"Fuck you, psycho!"

Vincent glared over Sephiroth's head to a Captain motioning a middle-finger towards his son's back. His red eyes then darted back towards his son.

Sephiroth's heart gave off a sudden light.

Releasing Vincent, Sephiroth clasped his hands over the area. He seemed to be listening to someone. He smiled and sighed. "Yes, Beloved. You, yourself, are a Gongagan country boy. I shall not disparage the resident backwater experts."

With that declaration, Leon, who had sat mesmerized with the rest of the group, embraced Cloud who started sobbing. "Oh Fuck! Oh Shit! It's all true. All fucking true! Vincent was right! The fucking Darkness! That goddamn Beast inside me was gonna have me kill Zack! Oh Gods, Squall! Squall!"

Embracing Cloud's shaking body, Leon felt Aerith's hands on his back, bolstering the Light he fed Cloud with her own.

Yuffie came up from behind and embraced them both.

Cid overlooked the whole room, with firm nod of his head. His kin all lived now under his roof.

Vincent had trusted the Captain and his ol' Venus Gospel to take care of them all. He never let the Missus down before, and he wasn't going to now, especially with the grandbaby coming.

After kissing his Father on the forehead, Sephiroth stood up. He moved slow towards the huddled group on the couch. He halted, before getting within striking distance, acknowledging that he would still be identified to be a threat. He directed full attention to Leon, who still supported Cloud, but his blue-grey eyes stayed riveted to the area, where his baby boy's heart lay housed.

Covering the area, with protective hands, Sephiroth smiled at Zack's Mommy. "You are all that he speaks of. He says you are the most beautiful Mommy in all the Worlds. You are truly very pretty. Full of love and Light, like the Captain. Zackary said you had been the only choice for him. He made sure he supported your Light, so you were all Chocobo-head would see."

Leon's attention diverted back to a mumbling Cloud. "How many times I gotta tell ya, Zack? Not a Chocobo-head!"

Sephiroth looked up and listened. His heart glowing lighter. "He said that after Mommy tricked you today. You are no longer Chocobo-head. You are now officially Pussy-whipped Strife, Infantryman."

Cloud gazed up to the area where his best friend's heart glowed. "Gods, Zack. I've missed you."

"He says not for long, Daddy Pussy-whipped. Not for long."

The light dimmed and then disappeared.

Sephiroth dropped his hands. Face once again becoming slightly lost. "He tires. He tires so quick now. He tries to hide the difficulty from me, but I can tell."

Sephiroth directed a sudden pleading gaze to both Leon and Aerith. "Please hurry. I do not know how long he can withstand the Darkness. He is a true child of the Light, but even he can only withstand so much."

Releasing Cloud, Leon stood up, and placed his hands over his baby's heart. He felt the muscle strengthen with his released Light.

Leon gazed into Sephiroth's grateful eyes."Aerith, and a great wizard named Merlin, will complete the transformation tomorrow. In a year, my body will be ready for Zack. When you feel Zack's heart weaken, come to Cid or Aerith, and feed it with their Light. After the transformation, I must conserve my own for the internal changes, and to support Zack's father. Do you understand?"

Sephiroth enclosed Leon in a tight embrace. "Keep well, Zackary's Mommy. You are all he has."

Cloud lurched up.

Aerith caught his arm in time. She shook her head, signifying Leon would be safe.

Leon patted Sephiroth's back, waiting until he released him, and then directed him back to a waiting Vincent.

Cloud pulled Leon back down, patting him all over, while Leon kissed his tears away.

Sephiroth returned to his father and picked up his weakened form.

Vincent had not eaten much since his son had gone missing. He had also not been feeding his demons the power of Darkness that the four needed to survive.

Sephiroth could supply them with some, but he did not wish to endanger Zack's heart any further. He gazed at his step-father with determination. "Captain, my father and I shall go hunting now. I do not believe you will have a Heartless problem for a few months. This should help Zackary's Mommy. Yes?"

Cid squinted at his son and shrugged. "Don't have too much fun. Get back before sunup! House runs on curfews. Goddammit! 'Sides gotta feed my grandbaby's heart anyways."

Sephiroth nodded. He and Vincent looked at each other with matching evil smiles, readying themselves for the hunt ahead.

Cid chuckled and shook his head. "Go on wit' ya! Give 'em one for the Captain!"

Sephiroth strode out.

Cid heard his mate's gleeful loading of Cerberus with the "special" rounds. He looked back to the exhausted rest of the family on the couch. "Well, get on! Everyone to bed! Gotta big day tomorrow!"

Cid snorted, when his adopted kids scrambled, and ran to their rooms.

All brimming, with excitement, over tomorrow's big "event."

XXX

At ten o'clock the next morning; a shaky Cloud holding an ecstatic Leon by the hand, Aerith and Merlin held hands over his lower body, beginning the three hour long Old Estharian ritual. This heretofore forbidden spell would endow Leon with the necessary female anatomy to bear children.

The first ritual to be followed by a second hour-long spell, performed by Aerith alone, which would encase Leon's womb with a protective covering. She did the precautionary measure, so enhanced Baby Zack wouldn't rupture the membrane, with one of his Costly Punches, he had been so famous for back in the day.

While this proceeded, Sephiroth explained, to a concerned Vincent, and somewhat enraged Cid, all that had happened to him during his travels to Hollow Bastion.

Walking through the Darkness, Sephiroth would come across individuals, with human forms, wearing hooded black robes. All strengthened by the power of Darkness; but none stronger than Sephiroth. The strangers entreated Sephiroth to join their "Organization."

With the support of Zack's heart, and the remembrance of his father's unselfish trust and love, Sephiroth had been able to see past their honeyed lies, and escape their clutches. He realized the beings only wished to use him, like a puppet, for their unknown schemes.

The creatures had also inquired about Vincent and Cloud, calling them by their names, and relaying up-to-date personal information. The group halted this tactic, when Sephiroth attacked with deadly force, to that line of questioning.

Only Vincent's steadying hand, on a strong forearm, kept an angry Cid from jumping around the room. "Goddammit! Not only we got Heartless to worry 'bout! Now we gotta worry 'bout these no-good carpet-baggers!"

"Captain, calm yourself. The Heartless will remain in the canyon, surrounding the castle, now that Sephiroth and I hunt by night. The fear of Chaos brings the Darkness to heel."

"Yeah, but whut 'bout the fuckers with the robes? Like Seph said, they're sniffin' fer power. Far's Ah know. Most power's here under this roof. 'Specially with the new son here. All my kin's here, Vince. New grandbaby comin'. Too much to lose for the ol' Captain!"

Sephiroth received Cid's referral, with a tilt of the head, and an arch of the eyebrow. However, the area over his heart glowed with warmth.

Vincent beamed. His beauty strengthening his Light's ranting. He embraced his worried spouse.

Cid would have to drink another vial of demonic blood for afternoon tea. The Light he had supplied to Zack's heart had drained him. Of course, he denied it. Good thing Death Gigas constantly monitored his cells.

Vincent gazed over to his son. Both nodded in unison.

At this moment, Aerith and Merlin worked on transforming Leon's body, enabling him to give birth to Zack, once the spell completed its work.

Leon's protection would be Cloud's job, until this new threat had been taken care of. His protection paramount for Zack's, Cloud's, Sephiroth's, and Vincent's survival.

Musing to himself, Vincent tightened his embrace around his own Light.

The ones strengthened by the Darkness held all the brute power; the ones powered by the Light bolstered the rest up to survive.

Without Leon and Cid, the family would crumble to nothing.

"Do not worry, Captain. If these robed creatures wish to see the true power of the Darkness, let them come. Cloud, Sephiroth, and I shall be more than happy to show them."

Looking towards his beloved Missus, Cid grinned, giving Vincent a kiss, and a smart wink. "That's my baby."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Interlude chapter before KH2 gets going. That's right! All through KH2, Leon's got a Puppy in the oven. Cloud visits the computer room, when Sora's not there, just to make sure it stays warm. Tee hee. Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 11/27/08. Revised 4/10/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Baby making all around!

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, SEX (Whoa Nelly! x2), CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Seductive Vincent, Slightly Disgusted Sephiroth in flesh/Gleeful Zack in heart, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, MPREG (finally!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 10 - New Beginnings**

XXX

_**One Year Later**_

With the arrival of Sephiroth, and the ongoing night hunts with Vincent, the Heartless problem became contained to the vast canyon, surrounding the castle.

When news of another Heartless-free zone reached Traverse Town, refugees from far and wide traveled to Hollow Bastion, seeking a new life.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie arrived first with much-needed wares.

Their Uncle Scrooge arriving soon after to sell refreshments, and food, to the hungry construction workers.

Cid's old shopkeepers, who had taken over his store, came with the large influx of people, smelling a booming commerce rising from the new village.

The Moogles, with their treasured synthesis items, showed up last.

Leon's days had become filled with activity. When not taking care of Cloud, or being the leader of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, he organized the new arrivals, directing them to old dwellings, which the new villagers would rebuild themselves.

Yuffie and Tifa helped out, directing the excited people around, and also assisting with the nonstop reconstruction.

Yuffie scaled the buildings with ease, flitting from building to building.

Tifa filled the workers with awe, using her tremendous strength, to haul building material around.

Aerith kept the home fire burning, healing the sick and injured in the small hospital, which had been set up with Merlin.

Cloud and Sephiroth remained vigilant with daily patrols.

Sephiroth's mere presence keeping most of the Heartless quaking in the canyon.

Cloud would patrol the surrounding area and kill off the rest. His Beast calmed with the day-to-day killings and lunchtime helpings of mewling Kitten.

Vincent, along with Sephiroth, who never needed to sleep, would patrol at night. During the day, he would stay by his ever-ranting Captain's side, ensuring his love would be fueled with constant cigarettes, hot tea, and hotter caresses.

Cid had jerry-rigged a computer up, spending the day working on the water and electrical systems. He also would verbally spar with Merlin over the intrinsic values of Science versus Magic.

Vincent had never seen the Captain so energized.

The sun shone bright over the little, bustling village. Hope had once again come to Hollow Bastion.

XXX

Leon felt jubilant.

Merlin and Aerith had finally deemed him ready to conceive.

Cloud couldn't wait either. In fact, he had been ready to plant the old seed a month after Leon had been transformed.

Hence, Leon spent a wearying six months playing the slappy-slap game with Cloud.

While anal sex still ruled the daily menu, Cloud and his Beast stayed obsessed with Leon's new entrance.

To help Leon a little, a patient Aerith sat Cloud down, explaining that no permissible touches would be allowed, for at least six full months.

Cloud's obsessed brain registered the six month mark.

When the date came to pass, Leon spent a full week, trapped in their bedroom. His writhing body being groped, licked, and fingered, into delirious exhaustion, by an ever curious Cloud.

Leon's entrapment came to an abrupt end, when Cloud spent one full day, with Leon's legs spread wide, licking the quivering female entrance to constant orgasm over and over.

When Leon began to have painful cramps from the strain, Aerith had to be called in to heal him.

Sulking in the corner, Cloud licked his lips, while an enraged Aerith held her hands, bathed with healing green Light, over a whimpering Leon's cramping womb.

The Beast whined, when Aerith smacked the top of his head, and shook her finger at him in admonishment. She banned Cloud from getting anywhere near Leon's female entrance for a whole week.

The Beast growled in dismay, but cringed in the face of Big Sister's ire. With anger raised, she became even scarier than the Big-Breasted Terror.

The Beast had been placated, somewhat, when a healed Leon let Cloud take him from behind, once Aerith exited in a huff. Afterwards, the sated creature purred with contentment. Kitten always found a way to satisfy him.

XXX

Cloud wanted to stay with Leon, the morning after Merlin and Aerith had given them the go-ahead, and forgo his daily patrol.

Cloud's plan had been dashed by a stern Cid, who strode into their bedroom.

Twisting a yelping Cloud's ear, Cid hauled him away from a laughing Leon's arms. "This house runs on schedule. Goddammit! Heartless ain't gonna wait while yer ruttin' 'round. Seph's come back from his run. You do yers. Don't piss me off! Gotta go feed mah grandbaby's heart."

Cloud halted his wiggling, when Leon quieted, with the reminder of their baby boy's plight. Getting dressed quick, he hugged, and kissed a smiling Leon goodbye for now. He nodded to Cid and Sephiroth on his way out.

Cid held strong hands to Zack's heart, in Sephiroth's body, strengthening the muscle with his Light.

Sephiroth grimaced. With his body consisting of Darkness, the pain almost overwhelmed him. But for his Beloved, he would gladly withstand the constant agony and more.

With no sound to signify, he would be coming out any time soon, Vincent had holed up in the bedroom,

Cid wasn't too concerned, but Vincent had been acting somewhat strange the past week.

Whenever Cid brought the matter up with Sephiroth, Sephiroth looked askance, with a slight blush marring his perfection. He informed the Captain to take the problem up with his Father. He would not be talking out of turn.

About to argue, a sudden thought occurred to Cid. If the problem had anything to do with sex, Sephiroth wouldn't want to talk about the matter at all. In Yuffie's vernacular, "Grossness!"

Satisfied his grandbaby's heart would be going strong for another day, Cid patted Sephiroth's chest, and got up to check on the Missus.

Sephiroth resumed his morning tea, while Aerith knitted nearby, and Yuffie did morning stretches by the warm stove.

Tifa had already left, to welcome the Gummi ship, which would be arriving soon.

"Captain?"

Cid, who had begun to walk down the hallway, turned back to see his stepson looking reticent. "I would tread carefully. For some reason, the Darkness has been disturbed. With the demons in thrall, my Father appears somewhat… altered."

Frowning with concern, Cid nodded his thanks.

Sephiroth directed his gaze back to his tea. Once adequately nourished, he would leave the house for the Dark Depths. He did not need to hear what would be coming from his Father's room today. He smiled when he heard his Puppy belly-laugh, feeling his Light caress him from the inside.

XXX

Entering the room he shared with Vincent, Cid closed the door quietly, thinking Vincent asleep. When he turned around, sky-blue eyes adjusting to the dark, his back hit the door, and he cursed at the sight before him.

Vincent lay sprawled across their bed, with all the fingers he could handle, jammed up the female opening Hojo had maliciously endowed him with. His other hand viciously rubbed and twisted the small bundle of nerves located above.

Cid's nostrils flared, inhaling Vincent's musky scent.

From the amount of juices flowing down quaking thighs, Vincent had been masturbating since Cid had gotten up that morning, hours before. He should have been in agony, instead he moaned and groaned, with heated lust. "Cid! Oh Cid! Hot! So hot! Ah! Oh! Not Enough! Never enough! Cid! Cid!"

Cid staggered to the bed. His painful erection making walking difficult. Common sense screamed at him to beware. He had cautioned Cloud before about getting his spouse pregnant. With pride, he had held up his and Vincent's ten-year childless marriage for a shining example.

The truth being that Cid had been talking out of his ear. He and Vince had just been plain lucky. The last time Vincent behaved like this happened five years ago.

Cid remembered the start, then waking up in a daze, with a slumbering Vincent lying beside him.

The married couple had fucked for three days straight, and Cid had never been given the option of suggesting pulling out. Vincent probably would have bitten his head off like a Preying Mantis.

Vincent's glazed scarlet irises fastened on his beloved Captain.

Mindless, Cid had torn his clothes off on the way to the bed.

With a bewitching smile, Vincent stretched his body out even more to his husband's ravenous gaze. He held out his juice-soaked hand to Cid's watering mouth.

Cid licked the fingers clean. Crawling on the bed, he bent his head to lick up the excess on Vincent's thighs, saving the best for last.

Groaning with delight, Vincent massaged his Captain's shoulders. "So strong. Oh love. Ease the heat inside me. I burn!"

Tipping his transcendent face back, Vincent screamed with joy, when Cid lapped at his entrance. He wriggled and squirmed, while Cid thrust his tongue inside, sucking at the bundle of nerves Vincent had already rubbed raw.

Cid was in Heaven. He could do this all day. All the stress, day in and day out, had all been negated with Vincent's love. He felt Vincent's thighs begin to clench around his head. Giving Vincent's entrance a final lick, he sucked hard on the bundle of nerves above.

Vincent, who had been alternating between snarls and moans, screamed like a banshee, gifting Cid's face with a gush of fluid.

Cid drank the juices down like the finest wine. He rose up to stare down at a besotted Vincent.

Vincent opened arms wide to Cid. "Come inside, My Captain. Love me."

Never one to argue with the Missus, Cid laid down fully on a beauteous Vincent, whose body had been brought back to full strength. Penetrating Vincent's velvety softness, he groaned, and laughed out loud.

Even after all these years, Vincent felt tight as a glove. He fit around Cid like the couple had been made for each other. In both their opinions, they had.

Petting Cid's head, Vincent scratched his back, while Cid began to thrust, with wild abandon, inside his aching, heated body.

If Cid had time to ponder Vincent's ruminating expression, and the Darkness permeating the room, he would have been disturbed. But once Valentine had a hold of him, the "Little Captain" always overruled the Captain's brain.

Vincent clenched his muscles in time with Cid's thrusts. He wanted to ensure that he would receive all the Captain had to give.

The demons inside his mental castle purred and hummed in agreement.

The Darkness growled with unhappiness, over the great disturbance, in the equilibrium.

The Firstborn would need help. Firstborn would be alone no longer. "The time has come, My love. Fill me. Give me your child. Let your child grow strong inside me. While the Light shall be strengthened, so shall the Darkness."

Cid reared back. Vincent's low, husky whispers, cutting through the lustful fog in his brain. He growled at the demonic fire in his mate's eyes. He moved to pull out.

Vincent may be talking, but he wasn't steering the ship.

Snarling, in response, Vincent used all his enhanced strength to keep Cid still. Deep voice, tinged with the echo of demons and the Darkness, entreated to his mate; enticing the Captain at the same time. "Why do you deny us, love? You love us. Forever you will love us. You will love our child. Firstborn and mate shall need help in the great battles to come. Our child shall help with the power of Darkness."

The effort took all of Cid's strength to fight Vincent's hypnotizing beauty.

Shaking his head no, Cid grunted, attempting once again to withdraw.

Vincent would not be denied his boon.

Cid stopped, breathing in and out, willing his erection to go down. The 'Little Captain' told him to: "Fuck off. He was busy."

"Vince. Ah luv ya. Ah luv ya more than the blood in mah veins, but this ain't right. This ain't you. It's the fuckin' Darkness. Ah know it ain't all bad. It just is. Don't be askin' the Captain to shoulder anymore. Jest can't do it, Vince. Jest can't."

Vincent held Cid's frowning face between his human hand and golden gauntlet. He waited until sky-blue eyes met scarlet.

The demons inside purred at the sight of their Sky.

Eyes widening, Cid realized he gazed at a serious, and sane, Vincent.

"True, Captain, the Darkness has spoken to me. I shall ever be one with the Darkness. You married yourself to us with eyes wide open to the dangers which lie therein. The Darkness has seen fit to reward our long servitude. It has promised us a daughter. A daughter of strength and might to help her brother, and mate of Light, with their fight for our family. The Darkness feels displeasure, with its future imbalance, with the Light. With Zack's coming, balance must be maintained. It shall be maintained."

Bringing Cid's lips down to his, Vincent kissed him, licking his lips on the way out. "You will fill me with our promised daughter, or I will shoot out your kneecaps, and then have you fill me with our daughter. Your choice, Captain."

Cid stared at his mate to see if he was serious. Yep, he'd recognize that old Turk glare anywhere.

Cid looked to the side, while trying to ignore Vincent's continuous clenching of his penis. He could pull out, lose the knees, have his mate force him to eventually blow his load anyway, and get his mate pregnant. The other choice being he could blow his load, get his mate pregnant, and keep the ability to walk.

Hmm. Decisions.

Well… Cid sorta liked his kneecaps. He and Vincent already had a seven-foot psychotic winged boy. The couple might as well go for the spare.

Cid shrugged. He always wanted a baby girl. Like the Missus said, she'd be a playmate for Zack.

Mind made up, Cid relaxed, and hunkered down to finish the job.

Purring, Vincent rewarded his Captain with deep kisses. Hips meeting Cid's to hasten his orgasm along.

The deal became sealed when, feeling his love nearing completion, Vincent ruthlessly scratched his nails down Cid's back, drawing blood. The carnal violence making Cid scream, with mixed pain and pleasure, when his orgasm hit him at the same time.

Vincent sighed with fulfillment, feeling the searing heat of his womb, cooled by his Captain's seed. "Oh, Cid. I feel so happy."

Cid felt certain that Vincent had sucked out most of his life-force to feed their new baby. He felt like he had returned to his death-bed. "Sure, Vince. Anythin' fer ya. Ah'm gonna pass out now. Wake the Captain when the kid's here."

Vincent cradled his slumbering mate between sated thighs. Cid's weary head nestled in the crook of his neck. He kissed his forehead and, once again, thanked the Light for giving him his beloved Captain.

XXX

Cloud's attention diverted from the canyon, when Sephiroth lurched from his at-ease stance.

During his daily patrol, Cloud had taken to passing Sephiroth's way.

Many times, through Sephiroth, Cloud would get to speak with Zack. A treat which he deeply cherished every time the phenomenon occurred. Whenever Sephiroth became disturbed, he felt immediate concern.

Zack's heart had weakened, even with the steady transfusion of Light by both Cid and Aerith. Cloud hoped Sephiroth's sudden faltering had not been due to Zack's Light failing.

Cloud and Sephiroth had become, at best, passing acquaintances. Their deep, abiding love for Zack being the one thing connecting them. Then again, things had always been that way, even before Jenova's deadly intervention.

Sephiroth, the all-mighty General; Cloud, the low infantryman; and Zack, the much-loved goofball, who had glomped them all together.

While still extremely suspicious of Sephiroth's control over his Darkness, Cloud acknowledged now that all the residents of the house, especially Leon (Zack's Mommy) had been freed from Sephiroth's threat. However, if the Darkness once again took hold of Sephiroth's psyche, he would have to battle him again.

With their constant regeneration, neither one could be killed, but the power of the battle would suck them both into Darkness's abyss.

Cloud wasn't sure if either one of them would be able to make the journey back to their loved ones if that happened. "Sephiroth? Something wrong with Zack?"

Sephiroth's lip curled in disgust and he shook his head no. "Thankfully, the Puppy's heart shines strong. He's currently laughing his tail off."

Cloud tilted his head and frowned. A falling down, laughing Zack proved never to be a good sign. "Why?"

Sephiroth took a great breath in and huffed the air out. "In nine months, I shall be blessed with a sister."

Cloud's eyebrow quirked with confusion. "Well, that's good news right? What's Zack find so funny?"

Snarling, Sephiroth jerked his head in Cloud's direction. "My Father had sex with Cid to produce her. The Darkness, in its triumph, has proclaimed my sister's conception to all the denizens of the lands of Darkness… and my Father persists in having sex with Cid."

Cloud shrank away at the idea himself. "What's Zack think of everything?"

Sephiroth growled in annoyance. "He's already thinking up ways to get them both into trouble. I guarantee you, the Lion's hands will be full, since he has already designated himself the disciplinarian of Zackary."

Cloud ruefully nodded. He had informed Leon of some of the tamer gags Zack had cooked up over the years.

Leon's face had settled into a deadly Lion's glare. He declared that he would discipline their son, because he could already see Cloud would be no help.

Cloud had acquiesced to his mate's decision. He had never been good at making Zack behave.

In the past, Zack wouldn't even behave for Sephiroth.

Leon, in the future, would have to battle Zack's puppy eyes and winning smile.

"Well… Congratulations. I'm gonna go now and get Zack's Mommy pregnant."

Sephiroth harrumphed, once again resuming his at-ease stance, overlooking the teeming masses of Heartless in the canyon below. "You do that, Strife."

Cloud turned to leave.

"Strife? Halt. I have one vital thing I must impart to you."

Cloud stilled at the seriousness in Sephiroth's voice. "I believe once Zackary's body has adequately formed inside the Lion. His heart shall return to him. I will once again be open to the seduction of the Darkness. My father has already assured me that he will help in my struggles. But I do not know what the burden of pregnancy shall do to his already fragile mind, I will strive not to burden him further. The point I am attempting to make, Strife, is to take care."

Cloud nodded in affirmation. He began to walk away, and then stopped. "You know, Zack was never the same once you died. While Hojo imprisoned us, he would try to lighten my spirits all the time. But at night, I would wake up, and catch him crying, saying your name over and over. He always said that he never blamed you, and I shouldn't either. I don't know if I ever will be able to forgive you, but I thank you for bringing Zack back to me. I promise I'll be the best Daddy I can be, and try not to let the both of you down."

Cloud then continued his walk back up the valley to his waiting Light.

Sephiroth's gloved hands covered the glowing area over his heart.

"_Spiky's right, Seph. I never blamed you, even when you tried to stick me with Masamune. I knew you still loved me."_

Sephiroth's tears coursed down his face. "I miss you, My Light. Every second, of every day, becomes filled with longing for you."

"_Don't cry, Angel. Daddy Pussy-whip's travelin' right now to make me with Mommy. You'll be holdin' me tight, and I'll be peein' on you before ya know it."_

Sephiroth laughed through his tears. Only Zack could make him laugh. Only his Light.

"_Just promise me one thing, Angel."_

"Yes, my love."

"_When the Darkness comes knockin', and if I'm still cookin' in Mommy, don't answer the door. Promise me, Angel."_

Sephiroth sniffed. Forehead furrowed with doubt. "Without you inside to guide me, My Light, I fear I will not be able to keep that promise. I wish never to break another promise to you again."

"_Y'okay. How about this? If the Darkness does that suckin' thing again, and takes you and Spiky to the icky place, you just focus on My Light to guide you back. Shouldn't be too hard to find. Spiky'll be lookin' in the same direction, right towards my beautiful Mommy."_

"All right, Zackary. I shall try. But if this does happen, you must shine your Light bright. Strife will be no use. His attentions will solely be on the Lion."

Zack chuckled inside. "_Of course, Angel. Why wouldn't they be. My Mommy's the most beautiful Mommy in all the Worlds. Although, your Daddy's pretty hot too. Can't wait to meet your sister. Bet we'll be the bestest of friends."_

Sighing, Sephiroth enjoyed his Light, for the length of time the couple had left. "This is what your Mommy fears, love. You always seemed to have gotten your bestest friends in the worst sort of trouble."

Sephiroth smiled, while his Puppy giggled with glee.

XXX

Cloud entered his bedroom to a most welcome sight.

Leon lay stretched out on their bed, naked, running his hands up-and-down his tanned and toned body. Smiling, with eyes closed, he hummed to himself, thinking himself alone.

Cloud closed and locked the bedroom door behind him. Leaning back, he sighed at the beauty of his Light.

Leon's happy blue-grey eyes opened, when he heard the familiar thump of First Tsurugi being placed against the wall. His smile widened, seeing his husband's Mako-blue eyes glowing fierce at the sight of him. He giggled a little inside. He hadn't even done anything yet.

"Starting without me?"

"Hmm. Just relaxing myself. It's been a busy morning. Cid and Vincent have been going for hours."

Cloud began to undress himself fast. "Yeah. I just left Sephiroth. He says he's getting a new baby sister in nine months."

Laughing, Leon sat up. "Oh! That's wonderful! Zack will have someone to play with! Did our baby talk to you?"

Cloud finished taking his pants off. Straightening up, he grinned. "Nah. Zack had been too busy laughing at Sephiroth's disgust, at Vincent having sex with Cid, to talk to me this time. However, Sephiroth informed me that his heart beat strong today."

Leon laid back down on his side. Hands gathered underneath the side of his head. "That's good. He's been weaker lately. I've been so worried. I'm glad, after today, I won't have to worry anymore. I'll just have to take care of him inside me."

Sitting down beside Leon on the bed, Cloud placed his palm against Leon's face. "You sure it'll take that quick?"

Leon rubbed his cheek against Cloud's hand. "Well, I'm special. Don't you know?"

Rising up, Leon rested his arms on Cloud's shoulders. He moved in. Cloud met him in the middle.

Their tongues intertwined, having their first taste of lunch.

Cloud used his body, to rest both of them down the bed, with Leon underneath him. "Yes, My Light. You are."

The couple resumed their deep kisses and interlocking tongues. Hands caressing each other's bodies.

Leon's joy could hardly be contained.

The couple would, finally, be making their baby.

When Cloud's hand made his way to Leon's female entrance, Cloud felt surprised to find him already soaking with juices. He backed up to quirk an eyebrow at his grinning Light.

"Don't look at me like that. I've been very good today. I haven't touched what's yours at all. I've just been thinking about my lovely husband all day."

Cloud prodded with a tentative finger. The Beast, inside, purred at his Kitten's tightness.

Leon mewled, when the finger joined with a second, to help stretch him out for Cloud's erection.

Cloud's head moved down Leon's body, littering the form with kisses, to join the fingers at Leon's female entrance. His tongue had been waiting all day for his Kitten's sweet taste.

Stretching his arms over his head, Leon relaxed. Prudery still reigned supreme, so he would never tell Cloud, but he loved the feeling when Cloud licked his vaginal entrance.

Leon began to hum again, when he felt Cloud's tongue join the fingers. "Oh, Cloud! Deeper! Make me come!"

Thrusting questing tongue and fingers into Leon's trembling entrance, Cloud made sure the juices flowed steady. Tongue collecting and savoring the taste.

When Leon's thighs tightened around his skull, Cloud knew his Kitten to be close. He added a third finger to stretch Leon out further.

Leon drew his breath in, feeling the added fullness.

Cloud's mouth changed direction, to lavish attention on the small bundle of nerves, right above Leon's entrance. He bared down, beginning to suckle, and lick, the nub with abandon.

Leon clutched the pillow his head rested on, writhing and moaning, with the new feelings. "Yes, Cloud! Oh, Yes! Don't stop! Oh! I feel it! I'm coming! Oh! Oh! I'm coming! Ooooh! Oh!"

Cloud felt the warm gush of fluid soak his stretching fingers. He dropped his mouth below to drink its fill. His Beast reveling in the new and coveted taste.

Feeling Leon had been stretched and relaxed enough, Cloud withdrew his fingers, and sucked on them. He righted his ready body to stare down at his sated Light.

Leon smiled up at Cloud, who's lower chin still glistened. He opened his legs, and arms, to receive Cloud. "Come inside, love. Fill me with your baby. He's waiting for us."

Removing the sucked dry fingers from his mouth, Cloud lowered his body, so his figure laid over Leon's. He made sure, like always, to rest his upper weight on his forearms.

Leon smiled serene, wrapping his arms around Cloud's neck. Running fingers through the back of Cloud's hair, he felt the head of Cloud's erection begin to enter him. He winced, while Cloud wrestled the head in.

Cloud stopped, but Leon shook his head. "Not slow, love. You'll hurt me more if it's slow. Fill me quick. Please?"

Nodding, Cloud leaned in to take Leon's kiss. He knew, with Leon's tightness, pain would be inevitable. But to hear his Light scream out with anything, but pleasure, the sound would tear him to pieces inside.

With his tongue twisting with Leon's, Cloud lifted his hips, and broke through Leon's female virginity with one thrust. He got halfway in.

Leon's eyes widened. Thighs attempted to close from the pain.

Cloud felt Leon's scream against his teeth. He made himself ignore the sound. He withdrew a little, and slammed in again.

This time Cloud's erection had been accepted to the root. Hips nestled against Leon's.

Cloud stopped then, letting a writhing Leon adjust to the intrusion.

Leon's fingers clutched in Cloud's hair. He raised his head to let Leon breath. "Oh, hurts, love. It hurts, but don't stop. I want my baby. Don't stop."

Cloud's eyes glowed even hotter, hearing Leon's pained entreaty.

Grunting in acknowledgement, Cloud strengthened his position, beginning to thrust hard, into a now mewling Leon. "Yes, love. Yes! Give me my baby. I want him so bad. Please! Please! Please!"

Cloud had wished to be gentle. But with his Light's continued submissive pleadings, the Beast reared its head.

Leon spied the other's face rise to the fore. Leaning up, he bit Cloud's lower lip hard, and then licked the bite.

The Beast roared with the recognition of his Kitten's rare immediate acceptance.

Locking his ankles around the small of Cloud's pounding back, Leon strengthened his hold around Cloud's neck. He concentrated, through the pain, to meet the Beast's frenzied thrusts with his own. "Please! Please! Give me! Oh! Oh! Please! Ah! Don't stop! Fill me up! Fill me up!"

The Beast whined. The submission flaming the fire even further. He leaned in and bit down on the juncture of Leon's neck.

Leon's head flung back in ecstasy. He laughed out loud, feeling the bite. "Oh! You love me too! Yes! You love me too! Love you! Love you!"

The Beast growled. Teeth lodged firm in Leon's neck. The tongue licking the blood. Never let Light go. Never. Kill all who try.

Releasing Leon's neck, after lapping up the blood, The Beast, for once, answered his Light."Light wants cub. Give cub. Light care cub. Make more Light."

Rearing up, Leon tightened his hug around a thrusting Cloud's neck. Stormy eyes fierce with want. "Yes! More Light! Give me! Give me now!"

The Beast increased the pounding.

Sure his pelvis would break, Leon didn't care. He wanted his baby so bad! He whispered in the Beast's ear, while clenching vaginal muscles."Come, My Beast. I want your cub. Fill me with your cub. Ah! Ah! Ah!"

When he whispered to the Beast, Cloud's hand had shot up, and began to fist Leon's crying erection with brutal strokes.

Leon flung his head back, wailing. "Fuck! Oh fuck! Make me come! Oh Shiva! Oh! Ah! Oh! Oh Gods! Make me come!"

Moving his arms down to Cloud's sweating shoulders, Leon gyrated his hips, clenching his vaginal muscles even harder around Cloud's erection. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Fill me up! Oh! Fill me up! Coming! Uh! Coming! Uh! Huh! Aaaaaaah!"

Watching his Kitten writhe, in the throes of his orgasm, the purring Beast continued its thrusts, milking Leon's spurting penis, until almost all the semen filled its hand.

When the Beast brought the hand up, and licked his Kitten's essence, Cloud's orgasm hit him. The Beast roared, while the semen shot out.

Laying his convulsing Kitten down, The Beast rested his pelvis against Leon's, so Leon's womb would be filled to the brim. Purring, he rubbed his Light's lower belly, feeling the womb swell with his seed. His cub. His little cub of Light. The Beast did love his Kitten so.

Laying in an exhausted heap, attempting to get his breath back. Leon smiled with joy, when he felt his womb fill to overflowing. He heard his Beast purr with delight. Nine months. Just nine months to go, and he would be holding his brave, beautiful baby Zack in his arms.

With the Beast sated and content, Cloud gazed down at Leon, with dimmed eyes of love. Still encased inside his Light, he laid back down, resting his sweaty head against Leon's chest. Smiling, he fell into a deep asleep, while gentle fingers carded through his hair.

Cloud's Darkness lulled by the steady, strong beat of his Light's heart.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Chapters may be a little shorter now, with my brain neurons misfiring, due to my BD, and it being Wintertime. I'm hoping quality will make up for quantity. (Bows low on knees and holds hands together in prayer for forgiveness). This is Leon's first trimester (1-2 months along), so he's still his svelte self shown in KH2. Oh, I know, and you know, Leon will be doing a lot more fighting. He just doesn't know it yet. Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 12/07/08. Revised 4/13/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Lion's shinin'. Chocobo ambushin'. Bat's pukin'. Lion fightin', almost dyin'. Omnislash! Zack's Gongagan crowin'. Chocobo and Lion lovin'

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Nauseous Vincent, Angsty Leon, Sephiroth in flesh/Zack in heart, SEX, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 11 -Remembrances Of Old Friends And The Warning Of New Enemies**

XXX

Leon's first trimester of pregnancy progressed swimmingly. He had absolutely no morning sickness. With his physical energy shooting through the roof, he couldn't help smiling all day. Hair developing a sheen, his tan skin glowed with health and vitality.

Life would be perfect, except for one thing. Leon's horn-dog of a husband. He thought Cloud had been bad before.

With Leon's amplified beauty, Cloud became insatiable.

Miscarriage being an ever present danger for the first trimester, Leon felt adamant about the couple going easy on sex, until the danger had lessened.

Cloud had nodded his head, in agreement, when Leon informed him. He saw Cloud nod his head, in agreement, to a concerned Merlin and strident Aerith, when the two also reminded him.

Leon soon realized, with Cloud's continuous assaults, that the head nodding had been just an automatic reflex.

Cloud thought with the head in his pants and nothing else.

Leon had been somewhat mollified with The Beast's gentled handling of its Kitten, for the growing cub's sake. Whenever he began to feel harried by Cloud, he would pass by Vincent. The sad sight of him would strengthen Leon's fortitude. Shaking off the self-pity, he got back to work rebuilding Hollow Bastion.

Vincent had morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. He could barely walk.

Setting up a cot next to his computer, Cid laid Vincent on the small bed every morning, working, while keeping a close eye on his sole reason for living. The ever present buckets ready to catch Vincent's daily offerings.

After the first week, Vincent's Demons had decided, en masse, to desert the puking ship. All deciding to go into temporary torpor, until their princess had been born.

A sour Vincent cursed out each Demon by name, with all the curse words he had learned from Cid, in between heaving.

Chaos made sure to give Vincent a one-clawed salute, also learned from Cid, before he laid down to sleep.

Sephiroth, who still faithfully took his father out every night to hunt, had taken to wearing a light raincoat over his battle jacket. The flying agreeing with Vincent even less than walking.

Zack's heart, still encased in Sephiroth, glowed and giggled, lighting up the night sky, whenever Sephiroth got puked on.

XXX

One day, while eating breakfast, the family, all at once, remembered a teenager named Sora, and King Mickey's two envoys, Donald and Goofy.

Running to the computer, Cid researched the data collected, from most of the known Worlds. He swore, seeing the pages and pages of files come up.

Sora had saved their lives. Without him, their village wouldn't exist at all. The boy, and his companions, had been missing for a whole year; forgotten by everybody who knew him. Something bad had happened to that boy; that something bad had the power to erase the family's memories for a year.

The enraged Captain began to rant, when the Missus, attempting to console, puked on him instead.

Sephiroth, who met Sora once at the Coliseum, felt sure this had been the doing of the hooded creatures. The beings who had harassed him, while traveling lost through the Lands of Darkness. Holding protective hands over Zack's heart, he recounted the dealings he had with the evil figures, to a concerned Cloud and Leon.

Leon wrapped his arms around his lower stomach. He should have known the peace wouldn't last. No matter how much he wished. He hoped this omen just meant that Sora would come by soon to visit him. He couldn't believe he forgot about someone who reminded him so much of his much-missed father, Laguna.

Leon rubbed his tummy. He couldn't wait to tell Sora about the baby. His one hope being that the forces of Evil stayed away, until Sora returned to their fold.

Placing a protective hand over Leon's rubbing arm, Cloud went over the town's defenses with Cid and Sephiroth. An unspoken reassurance, to Leon, that he would keep their new baby safe.

XXX

A week later, a breathless Yuffie ran in from morning patrol, announcing she and Tifa had encountered new enemies. The threat had been dispatched easy, like the Heartless, but the new foes looked drastically different. She reported the creatures had been covered by a white latex-like suit, that unzipped at the mouth, before attacking. Sinuous and flexible, the beings bent over backwards, and did flips in midair. She shuddered, proclaiming the creatures didn't have any eyes.

Tifa stomped in afterwards. "Yuffie! I can't believe you! You left me high-and-dry, so you could run off, and tell everybody first!

Yuffie shrugged. "Relax, Tifa. Once I figured out those guys went down easy, I knew you'd kick ass. I would have just gotten in the way."

Thinking for a moment, Tifa nodded in acknowledgement of her own badassness, and sat down for a much earned breakfast.

For the first time, since Leon had become pregnant, he felt sicker than Vincent looked.

Sephiroth had remarked the week before about these new enemies. The hooded creatures named 'Dusks.' Heralds for the robed ones' arrival.

Leon, who had still been eating breakfast, directed a worried gaze over to Cid, typing furiously into the computer, with Vincent soothingly petting his back.

Cid had been working on and fine-tuning a new security system for the town. The security system consisted of metal balls, filled with Light, that would monitor, find, and destroy any Heartless in the near vicinity of the house.

Sephiroth kept his permanent vigilance, scanning the Canyon between the village and the Castle itself.

Yuffie had been stationed around the house, the surrounding stone walkway, and the Bailey.

Tifa took care of the Second Restoration Site and the Postern.

Cloud patrolled the Marketplace, where most of the women and children congregated. When Leon wished to visit Ansem's old study, he would walk Leon through the Corridors, to be rewarded with a gift that left Cloud smiling all day.

Aerith had the worst post of all. Taking care of Vincent, and his buckets, she had also been forced to become the level-headed mediator, between Merlin and Cid.

If Aerith wasn't considered a saint before, she was one now.

XXX

Common sense told Leon he shouldn't do this, but he had to see for himself.

With Aerith and Cid preoccupied with a sick Vincent, and everyone else out on patrol, Leon took Lionheart, and walked out to the Bailey by himself.

Ever since Cloud had crashed back down to Hollow Bastion, Leon had never been allowed out alone.

Cloud believed his primary role, in the relationship, to be protecting his Mate from harm. With Leon now pregnant with Zack, he didn't want Leon to leave their room, if possible.

Leon arrived at the Bailey, overlooking the Castle, without any incident.

Cid's security system, like always, had been top-notch from the beginning, taking care of the small fry. Once Cid received more information on the Dusks, he would add them to the system's database for destruction.

Leon looked around.

With the recent Shuriken marks, Yuffie had eliminated the bigger Heartless and Dusks that appeared before.

Leon felt safer. He shook his head to himself. Safe.

A former SEED Commander and battle-hardened warrior, Leon had begged Cloud to let him fight again, so he could remain in fighting shape.

Cloud would always answer his Kitten with a kiss and an ass spank.

Leon felt a strange tickle on the back of his neck. Readying Lionheart, he turned around.

The Dusk swayed, in the nonexistent wind, chest-high, gray, and thin. Its mouth unzipped

Leon shuddered. Destroying the thing with one blow, he grinned. Heh. That wasn't too hard.

Four more appeared.

Leon swung Lionheart around in an arc.

The Dusks scattered.

Leon swore.

Yuffie had been right.

Not only could the Dusks bend their bodies to dodge the sword's swing, their unzipped mouths and sharp claw, for hands, stayed in place, ever ready to slash and bite him.

Leon figured he had killed about twenty of them, before he realized the enemy surrounded him.

The security system did its job. For some reason, all the Dusks from the surrounding areas had become drawn towards Leon's location.

Leon noticed, strangely, when a Heartless appeared, the Dusks would destroy the interloper, perceiving the other for another enemy.

At first, Leon believed the creatures swarmed around him to take his strong heart. Glancing down, he noticed his womb glowing. Refocusing his attention to the Dusks, he now realized their attention had never been directed at him, but at his lower stomach.

The Lion growled in defiance. These creatures wanted his baby, Zack!

Seeing red, Leon screamed and attacked. Fighting for almost fifteen minutes, killing countless Dusks, he began to dry sob. Too many! He didn't care if the creatures took his heart, but his baby!

If Zack died, before he had even lived, the reason would be because hard-headed Mommy didn't stay in the house, like Daddy ordered him too.

Leon began to lag. Ever since Cloud returned to him, he had done only light sparring. Battle fighting took more stamina. A lot more. The adrenaline, coursing through his body, petered out; leaving Leon to fight with the sheer will to survive alone.

Receiving a fierce slash across his back, Leon screamed. The Dusks swayed even closer than before.

Holding up Lionheart with one hand, Leon covered his lower stomach with the other. Please! Oh Gods! Don't let his baby die!

Leon received a slash on each arm, and another on his back. Feeling his body begin to fall, he heard his prayers answered.

"Farewell."

Over a hundred or more enemies crowded around Leon, grasping for the baby. The Dusks disintegrated. All decimated, in the blink of an eye.

Leon looked up to a stone-faced Cloud, enveloped in fire and lightening. Dropping Lionheart into the dust, he fell to his knees. Other arm joining the first to cover his womb, he cried. "My fault! All my fault! If our baby died…"

Cloud clapped First Tsurugi onto his back.

Catching Leon, before his body hit the ground, Cloud held him close. Licking the tears away, he gathered Leon into his arms. "Don't cry, Squall. Zack's fine. You protected him like a good Mommy should. Let's get you to Aerith. Your back's bleeding pretty bad."

Leon rested his head against Cloud's solid chest, but kept his arms wrapped around his lower stomach.

Cloud ran, with a hysterical Leon, back to the house. Kicking open the door, he startled everyone inside, who had gathered for afternoon tea.

Vincent moved to the side of the cot, while Cloud laid a sobbing Leon down next to him. Concerned red eyes looked up to his Captain for help.

Laying a gentle, big, scarred hand on his adopted son's head, Cid began to pet the long locks. "Hey there, Son. Don't be goin' away, in yer head, like the Missus. Grandbaby's safe and sound. Come on back now. Come on."

Standing over to the side, Aerith held her hands over Leon's body. With her green light, she healed the Dusk-inflicted slashes from the inside out.

Eyes cleared from their faraway, wild look. Leon, unconsciously, moved closer to Vincent, who petted Leon's arms to comfort. "Cid?"

"Yeah, Kid. Yer safe. Cloud went and got ya, after Seph noticed you went missin'. Gotta say, yer husband wasn't too happy when ya weren't in yer room."

Leon's eyes darted every which way, until resting on Sephiroth, standing near the door. He held his arms out to him.

Sephiroth held his hands over Zack's heart, looking, uncharacteristically, scared.

Cloud, who had been standing beside Cid, moved closer near Leon.

Sephiroth's expression went from scared to unsure. "Father?"

Vincent also beckoned. "Come, My Own. The Lion wishes to be reassured with the Light of Zack's heart. Let Zack talk to his Mommy."

Sephiroth moved forward and bent down on one knee.

Sitting up, Vincent kissed Sephiroth's forehead, in thanks. He knew the hardship Sephiroth still had, allowing people to touch him, even Beloved's Mommy.

Leon laid his hands over his baby's heart. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't deserve you. You need a better Mommy. One who isn't stupid, and wanders off on his own, asking to be attacked. Oh, Zack! I'm so sorry."

Tilting his head, Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Zack's Mommy? For some reason, Beloved crows… like a…. rooster."

Snorting, Cloud shook his head.

Leon looked up to Cloud for answers.

Leaning down, Cloud kissed Leon's forehead, before he explained. "Whenever Zack completed a successful mission, he would wake me up, from my much-needed sleep, with the Gongagan Wake-up Call. Normal humans refer to the noise as the sound of a rooster crowing. Get used to it, Squall. We'll be hearing it a lot, once he gets hold of a sword."

Leon's forehead creased with bafflement. With hard-headed stupidity, he had almost gotten himself and his baby killed. "You weren't frightened, Baby?"

Listening, Sephiroth sighed, with exasperation. "Zackary held no fear at being faced with imminent death. He says that his Mommy is the most beautiful ass-kicker in all the Worlds. Daddy did okay, even while still being… pussy-whipped. Beloved, may we please stop referring to Strife in such a manner? No! I do not care about his degradation. I feel degraded when I have to say the words to your Mommy! Yes, Zackary, I know I am a stick-in-the-mud! Like Daddy Pussy-Whipped says, "Get used to it."

Leon began to laugh, hearing Sephiroth argue with his baby. His little fighter. Even in the womb, he thought like a hero.

Sitting up, Leon kissed the area over Sephiroth's heart. "I love you, Baby. I'm glad you think Mommy's such a good fighter, but I'm afraid this will be the last of any fighting I will be doing, until you're born."

Sephiroth frowned, listening to Zack complain, and probably doing squats. Zack always did squats, while complaining. "Do not fret, Beloved. Until your heart returns to your body, you can still experience the night hunts with Father and myself."

Sephiroth glanced over to his father, who for once didn't look nauseous. "Yes, Zackary. I will ask Father nicely tonight, and he will use the special rounds, that make with the pretty fireworks."

Sephiroth kissed the top of Leon's head, before straightening back up to full height."Zackary loves you as well, Zack's Mommy. I feel relieved that you will be staying in the house from now on. It would seem that the Dusks seem to be multiplying by the day."

Nodding from his resting place, Leon directed his gaze to Cloud. "Cloud, help me to the table? Zack's hungry."

Cloud gingerly picked Leon up, and deposited him in the chair Yuffie vacated.

Yuffie crawled into Leon's place, lying next to Vincent, and surreptitiously fed him the pastries Cid swore would make him sicker.

By this time, Vincent didn't care. Breaded sugar had become Heaven, either going down, or coming up for him.

Yuffie shoved the tea cake in quick. She loved Vincent, and the new baby, but she loved her fingers more. She flinched, when Vincent tagged her pointer finger. Well, if she lost a finger, maybe Vincent would let her name his new baby girl, Materia.

XXX

Leon awoke, the next morning, to Cloud littering his lower stomach with soft kisses.

Interspersing the kisses, with soft snuffles of the nose, Cloud purred.

Leon's womb glowed in response.

Leon smiled, when Cloud looked up, but the Beast answered. "Cub grow. Give more Light. Mate fight strong. Protect cub. Mate stay. Keep cub safe?"

Nodding, Leon reached down, and caressed the side of Cloud's face.

Cloud had made gentle love to Leon most of the night. He had still been thrusting, when Leon finally fell asleep exhausted, with a smile on his face.

Leon's attention became diverted by Cloud's growling. "Protect Mate better. Cub grow. Enemies come. Kill. Kill them all."

Noticing the Darkness gathering fast behind Cloud, Leon drew Cloud's frowning face up towards his own. Kitten silenced the Beast's growls with a deep kiss. Artful tongue teasing.

The Beast began to purr. Kitten less naughty with Cub inside, but still feisty. Beast loved Kitten so much.

The Beast couldn't wait to patrol. Dusk or Heartless, the more enemies to slaughter the better.

Big-Breasted Terror stated yesterday she would protect others' Mates and cubs in Marketplace.

The Beast would feast today. Purrs increased, when Leon's hand drew Cloud's erection to his loosened anal entrance. He would feast in more ways than one.

When Cloud thrust in, Leon mewled, wrapping arms and legs around him tight. Always good. Always so good. He would never tire of being loved by Cloud.

Cloud moaned, when Leon clenched anal muscles around his erection.

The couple would have to make this quick, before Cid noticed that Cloud hadn't left for patrol yet.

Understanding the urgency, Leon began to masturbate himself with Cloud's deep thrusts. "Ah! Ha! Uh! Ah! Fill me up, Beast! Ha! Ah! Ah! Feed my Light. Ah! Ha! Ah!"

The Beast grunted, and whined, when Leon canted hips to meet Cloud's thrusts. So good! Kitten loved him so well in the morning.

Clenching down, Leon screamed with his release. Penis jetting semen onto stomach.

Cloud stilled, while Leon's anal muscles milked his penis of its seed.

Sighing, Leon enjoyed the warmth filling him.

Pulling out slow, Cloud moved down to lick Leon's stomach clean.

Leon played with Cloud's spikes. He loved to do that, while Cloud slept, head on Leon's shoulder.

Cloud spoke up. "Have to mosey, Squall. Don't want Cid to break down the door again."

Leon giggled, pushing Cloud's shoulders away. "Go patrol. Me and baby will still be here when you get back for lunch."

Cloud answered Leon with a deep kiss. Sighing, he rose up to get ready for the day.

Leon watched Cloud get dressed and clap First Tsurugi onto his back. When Cloud sat back down on the bed, to put his boots on, he lovingly petted his back.

After straightening up, and walking towards the door, Cloud stopped."You did good yesterday, Squall. Did the Gongagan Wake-Up Call proud. But if you ever pull a stupid stunt like that on me again, the Kitten won't be able to sit down for a week. Got it?"

Resting his head against the pillow, Leon smiled at Cloud's tense back. "No worries, Husband. The Leader of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee learned his lesson. Without an escort, Kitten and Cub stay at home home, where we will be safe."

Nodding with a grunt, Cloud then exited the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Smile remaining, Leon fell back to sleep. Secure arms wrapped around his glowing womb, keeping Zack safe, even in slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I changed meeting at the Bailey a little, because Leon is still supposed to be chaperoned wherever he goes. It's fan fiction. I can do it, if I wants to! This is Leon's first trimester (2 months along), so he's still his svelte self shown in KH2. Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 12/20/08. Revised 4/13/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Little Laguna shows up. Organization XIII shows up. They like babies too!

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, KH2 Plot and Dialogue (All Square-Enix and Disney Owned), CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Sora being Sora, Confused Leon, Org. XIII say Hey!, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 12 - Little Laguna Returns**

XXX

In the middle of the second month of Leon and Vincent's pregnancies, Sora, the Keyblader, and King Mickey's envoys, Donald and Goofy, showed up out of the blue.

Cid received word, from the Gummi Ship Hangar, that an unfamiliar Gummi Ship had just arrived from Twilight Town. With the arrival of the Dusks, communication from Twilight Town had broken down over the last month, so any new arrivals warranted suspicion.

After surreptitiously feeding Vincent his forbidden pastries, Yuffie announced she would scout ahead. If the newcomers looked like enemies, the foes would get a face full of Mighty Shuriken.

Aerith and Leon surrounded Cid, who sat typing in all the information forthcoming on the Dusks, when the front door banged open.

Yuffie flourished an arm out. "Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!"

The whole group turned, to view an amazed Sora, and his two companions.

Aerith clapped her hands in glee, while Cid grinned.

Leon folded his arms confidently in front of his chest. Once again, the luck of Laguna Loire had brought Sora back to his extended family.

Sora ran up and gave everyone hugs.

Cid introduced a curious Vincent to a wide-eyed Sora.

Sora told himself he would have to ask Leon later, about the pretty 'lady' married to Cid, and why she had a man's name.

Aerith remarked on how much Sora had grown.

After Leon hugged a bouncing Sora, he informed the Keyblader of the strange occurrence that happened to the Committee a little while ago. "A while back, everyone remembered you guys. All at the same time."

Sora stuck his lower lip out, in a pout. Big blue eyes troubled. "You remembered? Wait! Does that mean you forgot about us?"

Donald hopped up and down, with annoyance, while Goofy looked confused, like always.

Yuffie, of course, asked the question that had been on everyone's minds. "So where've you guys been all this time?"

Surprisingly, Goofy answered, with a sheepish grin. "We were sleepin.'"

Cid shook his head ruefully at the folly of youth.

Vincent slapped Cid's knee, already knowing he'd say something improper.

"Where? In cold storage?"

While Vincent slapped Cid's knee again, Aerith waved dismissive hands in front of her. "It doesn't matter. This is great. Everyone's together again!"

Sora gazed around the house, expecting to see someone else. Eyes became misty, when he failed to find who he searched for. "So, um… We're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?"

Sora's eyes filled with tears, when the group all shook their heads no. Rubbing his nose, he sniffed with disappointment.

Aerith attempted to brighten his spirits. "Sorry. But let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Okay?"

Sora smiled back, and shook his head, to regain focus. "Okay. Thanks."

Cid, seeing a golden opportunity, standing in front of him, spooked Sora by edging up to him quick, like a true snake-oil salesman of old. "Don't go thankin' us just yet."

Being Leader, Leon introduced the subject at hand. "Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big problem."

Grinning, Sora mimicked Leon's confident posture, by folding his arms over his chest. "You mean like Nobodies and Heartless? Sounds like you could use our help."

Leon's eyebrow quirked at the term 'Nobodies.' He also, unconsciously, covered his lower stomach to protect Zack. "Then let's cut to the chase. Sora, Donald, Goofy. We were hoping the three of you might give us a hand around here."

Sora's eyebrows furrowed, with curiosity, at Leon's actions. Placing fisted hands on skinny hips, he stuck his teenage chest out. "Like we're gonna say No?"

Donald and Goofy rolled their eyes behind Sora.

Leon half-expected to hear the Gongagan Wake-up Call. "Right. I forgot who I'm dealing with."

Donald brandished his wand like a baseball bat. "Hey! What do you mean by that?"

Aerith once again came to the rescue, with a light laugh, and a shrug. "Just think of it as a "Leon compliment."

Yuffie had already left beforehand to clear the way for Leon, so he could walk to the Bailey safe with Sora.

Leon took Sora by the shoulder, walking out with him. "Follow me to the Bailey. There's some things you need to see."

XXX

While Leon and Sora walked slow to the Bailey, with Donald and Goofy tagging behind, Sora wrapped his arms around Leon's still slim waist. He ventured the question, that had been bothering him, ever since he first laid eyes on Leon again. "Leon? I don't want to sound crazy. But you know, you're Light shines brighter. And your tummy? It glows with a different light. It's blue. Am I going crazy?"

Leon laughed and hugged Sora around his growing shoulders. He wondered how he would bring this up to Sora. He felt glad that Kingdom Hearts, and the Keyblader's own innate powers, helped his cause. "No, Sora. You're not going crazy. The truth is… I'm pregnant."

Sora halted. Backing up, he stared again at Leon's lower stomach. Placing his gloved hands over Leon's womb, he smiled at the radiating warmth. "Leon? Um… I kinda wanna know, but I kinda don't. The point is… um…"

Leon beckoned, to Donald and Goofy, so the pair could also hear his explanation.

Leon placed his hands over Sora's. "The baby's father is Cloud Strife. We got married, while you were away. Merlin and Aerith helped me, using an old spell from my planet, which my father made sure to keep records of. I'm two months along. Before you ask, you can be the baby's uncle."

Sora took the explanation in, digested the information for a minute. He then accepted everything with a nod.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and shrugged with resignation.

Sora would believe anything, if sense could be found somewhere. The place could be another dimension, but it still qualified.

Frankly, to Leon, Sora just seemed to want to hear he would get to be an uncle.

Sora bounced up and down with a happy grin. "I'll be the bestest Uncle, Leon! I promise that the baby will always be safe and protected!"

Leon answered Sora's grin, with one of his own, bringing his 'little brother' in for a tight hug. "I've been waiting for you to come back, so I could hear that, Sora. I'm glad that you came back okay."

Sora mumbled his reply in Leon's chest. "So'm I, Leon. I'm happy about the baby."

The group continued to walk up the stone walkway to the Bailey.

Donald and Goofy went ahead to kill any enemies that Yuffie might have missed.

Sora made sure that Leon's immediate area remained safe.

When the group reached the Bailey, Leon pointed to the teeming mass of Heartless, completely encompassing the whole canyon. "We want to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be. Who knows, maybe something better. There's still a lot to do, but I'm sure we can handle everything. Except, for that…"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy's eyes widened, with awe, and a little fear.

Leon waved his hand towards the ocean of Heartless. He then pointed down to two Dusks making their own way to the Castle. He shuddered, placing his other hand over his womb. "…And that."

Sora jumped on top of the stone wall, directly in front of a startled Leon, and pumped his fist into the air. "We'll handle them!"

Chuckling, Leon pushed Sora back off the wall, into the Bailey. "Well, that's good to hear. So Sora. Do you know what's going on then?"

Sora pantomimed with his hands to emphasize the importance of what he said. "There's this guy, Pete, who's been going around plotting with the Heartless. But he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes. The ones we need to worry about are the Nobodies."

Goofy came up next to Sora, to remind him of the other enemies encountered, since awakening from their year-long slumber. "And those Organization XIII guys in charge, too!"

From seemingly everywhere, a deep voice answered Goofy's declaration. "You called?"

Everyone readied their weapons, surrounding Leon, to keep him safe.

After not seeing anyone near, the group moved slowly out to the open area, near the Second Restoration Site.

A different, sultrier voice spoke this time. "You're doing well."

Sora looked around, but again saw no one. "Who's that?"

The deep voice became louder. "This calls for a celebration…"

The group huddled around Leon.

To Leon's dismay, several Dusks appeared.

Without backup, Sora, headstrong and foolhardy, ran back into the Bailey to destroy them.

When Leon followed, the gates swung shut behind him, closing the pair off from a scared Donald and Goofy.

Sora did destroy most of the Heartless, but Leon had once again been reminded of his vulnerable condition.

When the Dusks had all been destroyed, and the gates swung back open, Sora took his place beside an enraged Leon.

Leon decided to yell at Sora later, after taking care of the unknown intruders.

The deep voice sounded satisfied, with the result of the skirmish. "The Keyblade. A truly marvelous weapon. Were it only in more capable hands."

Leon flinched, hearing a chorus of malicious laughter fill the area.

Sora waved his Keyblade in the empty air. "Show yourselves."

Leon motioned for Sora to calm down. By losing his temper, he wasn't helping matters.

When six black-hooded figures appeared, Sora, Donald, and Goofy once again surrounded Leon, protecting him,.

The central one raised both arms in greetings.

Goofy held up his shield in defense, but sounded frightened, declaring the identity of the group. "Organization XIII!"

Sora and Leon readied themselves in formal battle stance.

For a moment, Leon wondered why no one else, from the House, had come to help. He then remembered. With Sora, Donald, and Goofy, he had informed everyone he would be fine and safe. He swore to himself. Did the Gods want to prove him wrong every time?

"Good! Now we can settle this."

"What a shame. And here I though we could be friends." The enemies then disappeared in a cloud of laughter.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy ventured forward in pursuit. The trio stopped in place, when a lone hooded figure appeared, blocking their way. "Oopsy-Daisy!"

An impatient Sora confronted the being. "Move!"

"Now, do you think that's polite, shutting me down like that?"

"I said get outta the way!"

"As IF! You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing."

Donald brandished his wand, ready to spell the creature back to the Darkness. "Then we're gonna MAKE you move!"

"See, that would work, if I were just any old dude. 'Cept I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing "any old" about me."

Leon hung back from the confrontation, with Lionheart at the ready. To be truthful, he felt confused with everything that occurred, since the foursome had arrived at the Bailey.

Sora pointed at the hooded being with his Keyblade. "Ha! Tough talk for someone who stood on the sidelines while his Nobody flunkies did the fighting!"

"Oh, dear. I think you got the wrong impression."

"You gonna cry?"

"As IF? Why don't I remind you how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is?"

"Remind me?"

The figure leaned forward, and then laughed outright. "That's right! He used to give me that same exact look."

Sora backed up slightly with confusion. He shook his head, to clear his brain, and readied his Keyblade to strike. "I guess you think you can psych me out by saying really random stuff!"

"Gee. I don't know."

The figure actually seemed to ponder the question for a moment, and then saluted the group with a wave. "Be a good boy now!"

Donald ran forward to attack, but met with empty air. "Nuts! He got away!"

Sora scratched his head. He looked to a perplexed Leon. "That was weird. Who gave him the same look?"

Goofy placed a reassuring hand on Sora's shoulder. "Y'know, I think he was just tryin' to confuse ya."

Sora nodded, in agreement, and grinned. He took out the Membership Card, that Aerith had earlier given to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, when the three first arrived. "Yeah, you're right. Only one me! The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member…Huh?"

Leon's eyes became big, when Sora's card began to glow, and levitate. He backed up, when Sora released the card, revealing a Keyhole in the sky.

Sora pointed his Keyblade towards the symbol, and the group heard an audible click, like a door unlocked. He continued to gaze up at the sky. "Ohh… now I get it. That must've been the gate Yen Sid talked about."

Leon didn't know what to think. He jumped, when Sora glomped his body, in a rush. He reflexively hugged Sora back.

"Sorry to run, Leon. But other Worlds are calling."

Leon ruffled Sora's hair, placing a firm gloved hand, on Sora's capable shoulder. "Organization XIII. They look tough. Be careful out there."

Just in time, Yuffie arrived to walk Leon back to the house, so Sora could depart.

"I'll see ya soon, Leon. I'll come back to visit the baby. 'Kay?"

Leon saluted Sora, Donald, and Goofy, before the trio ran off in the direction of the Gummi Hangar. He took a long look around the area, before leaving with Yuffie.

Thankfully, Leon did not see the return of the cloaked figures. If he had heard their conversation, he would never have left the House again, of his own volition.

XXX

"Truly remarkable. Do you not find the revelation so, Saix? To hear of such a phenomena is one thing. To see the actual condensed power…"

"I have never seen the like, Superior. To think, were it not for the Keyblader, we would never have known of this new development."

"What're you dudes yakkin' about now?"

"None of your concern, Xigbar. Please keep Demyx out of trouble, until I finish conversing with Saix."

"Shuh. Whatever!"

"As I was saying, Saix. A bearer of Light, already with child. Did you see the strength radiating from the soul within? Think once the heart becomes reunited with the babe! A truly magnificent piece of work. I must thank Kingdom Hearts, once we return to Headquarters."

"Speaking of hearts, Superior. With Zexion's earlier studies, the child's heart should join, once again, with the soul in a month's time. I believe, when this occurs, Sephiroth will be open to suggestion."

"Excellent. One month, and everything shall fall into place. Maleficent has been reawakened, and Sephiroth shall soon be one of us. Are you quite sure his meddlesome Father will no longer trouble us? I fear he shook Demyx quite off his game with that last encounter."

"Yes, Superior. The Darkness, itself, has helped our cause by making Sephiroth's father bedridden with child. No one shall hinder our plans. Sephiroth will take care of Cloud Strife, once and for all. The Light bearer, and his child of Light, shall be ours to do with as we wish."

"Yes. With Sephiroth under our control, his father, Vincent, and the child of Darkness growing inside the Demon shall join our Organization soon after. As for the Light bearer… Hmm. I believe I shall enjoy being a father."

"One, with such knowledge as yours, shall be a blessing to any child of the Worlds, and beyond. Superior… About the one called Vincent, once the girl babe is born…"

"Yes. Yes, Saix. You may take the Possessed one for a Mate. I believe the Demons, held within the being, shall comfort your lunar cravings nicely."

"My many thanks, Superior. How I have longed to hear that. Our firstborn shall honor you."

"Kingdom Hearts, My Luna Diviner. Remember, all honor goes to Kingdom Hearts."

"Of course, Superior. All for Kingdom Hearts."

"Now leave me. Return with the others to Headquarters. I must visit the Chamber of Rest."

"Must you, Superior? Our plans…"

"Do not question me, Saix! Now go!"

"My apologies, Superior. I meant no harm."

Saix motioned to the rest of the group, before disappearing back into the Darkness.

The one, called Superior, stayed to gaze out towards the Castle beyond.

"Oh, my old friend. When my child of Light is born, you shall be the first one I shall bring him to visit. He has much to learn. But I know, with your guidance, he shall grow strong with the Nothingness. My child of Light. My Zack.."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry it took so long! Felt I was really losing my focus with this story, so I played KH1, KH Re:COM, and KH2 all at once. Can't play these games now without laughing my ass off with glee. KH1. Meeting Cloud in the Coliseum and all he's thinking about is biting Kitten booty. KH2. Just seeing my Lion walking around and knowing there's a Puppy in the oven. Joy! Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 1/08/09. Revised 4/13/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Seph loses his heart. Lion's cub gains one. Vincent loses his mind. Cid tries to keep his.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Seph in Sad Flesh/Zack No Longer In Heart, Loony Vincent, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Crying Yuffie, Happy Lion, Disgruntled Chocobo, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 13 - A Heartfelt Goodbye**

XXX

"_Sorry, Angel. Mommy's calling. Puppy's gotta go."_

"Do not leave me, Beloved! I have already lost Father. I cannot be alone again. I know now I will not be strong enough. Please! Do not leave me!"

"_If I could stay, Angel, ya know I would. But I gotta keep my body going, inside my beautiful Mommy, it needs my heart to do that. Mommy can't do it all by himself, even though he's tryin'. Stay strong for me, Angel. Just promise me that."_

"I promise, Zackary. This promise I can keep. My body holds nothing but strength. However, I fear my mind and will shall become weak, without your guidance."

"_When the Darkness gets really bad, come visit me inside Mommy. I'll let Chocobo-head Daddy know, so he won't Tsurugi you. Just talk to me, Baby. May not be able to answer ya back, but I'll be able to hear everythin' you're sayin'. Promise."_

"All right, Zackary. I like your Mommy. His pretty Light sooths my Darkness. Why he chose Strife, I still cannot fathom."

"_Took pity on the Chocobo-head. My beautiful Mommy's got a soft spot for suckers. Easier to pussy-whip. Now remember, Angel, if the Darkness sucks ya up, before I come out crowin', you just look for my Light in my Mommy. Got it?"_

Sephiroth smiled through the tears, grasping his chest hard, like he could keep Zack's heart, through mere strength alone. "Yes, Zackary. I got it."

"'_Kay, Angel. Gotta fly. Always remember. I love you, My Dark Angel. Forever."_

"Yes, Zackary. Forever."

Zack's Light shone brighter than it ever had. The Light filling the Valley. Then, in the blink of an eye, the Light vanished.

Sephiroth fell to his knees, while still clenching his chest. He knew deep down in the recesses of his own Darkness-formed heart. He had already lost.

XXX

"Cid, can I shoot that one?"

"Vince, how many times Ah gotta tell ya. Look in the pitcher book Ah gave ya. The thing in there?"

"Yes."

"Then you can shoot it."

Cid burst out guffawing, when he heard Merlin scream outside, and start cursing up a storm. He knew that magic shield the old goat had bleated about had been all bull-shit. If you couldn't see it or touch it, the darn thing had no business with Cid Highwind.

"Cid! How many times do I have to take Merlin's picture out of that book! You should be ashamed of yourself! For goodness sake, I just removed the photo this morning!"

Cid hung his head, but he couldn't stifle the giggles, in front of an enraged Aerith. He had to get his jollies some way.

When Vincent's second trimester came, his puking ended, but the delusions began. He also decided to go live on top of the Committee House's roof.

After a week's worth of pleading, and waking up a grumpy Chaos for an explanation, Cid shrugged his shoulders.

Chaos snarled that the roosting had to do with Demonic childbearing practices. No, he wouldn't explain any more, and leave them be.

For once, not knowing what else to do, Cid relied on Merlin's magic.

Merlin magicked the roof flat enough, to support a comfortable double bed, for the Bat and his Princess. A pretty tent, sent by Sora from Agrabah, kept them warm and safe from the elements.

With a pissed-off Chaos awake, while the other demons slumbered, the Heartless and Nobodies stayed far away from the pregnant, delusional sharpshooter.

When his fourth month of pregnancy hit, in Cid's words, Vincent went crackers. He still knew Cid and Sephiroth. Everyone else he forgot, even Yuffie.

Yuffie had been inconsolable, until Sora came by with Materia, found in the Land of Dragons. When Sora described the place to her, she jumped for joy. The World sounded just like Wutai.

Cid, loved his adopted daughter, in spite of how the two acted around each other. He promised he'd fly her when the baby was born.

Yuffie couldn't wait.

Vincent had fallen back on old Turk training. Wanting to keep his Princess safe, he took to shooting at anything, and everything he didn't recognize.

For the unfortunate village folk, this amounted to everybody.

Cid, not wanting Vincent to commit mass murder, quickly printed out a picture book of 'perps' for Vincent to 'take out.' If the picture wasn't in the book, he couldn't shoot the creature. If he did, the 'Great Ninja' would not be allowed to feed him the sweet things she ran up to him every day.

Yuffie had cried, when he had tried to shoot her the first time. With Cid's help, She now came under the label of 'daughter' in Vincent's brain, along with Tifa, Aerith, and strange enough, Sora.

At his last medical exam, up on the roof, Merlin and Aerith concluded the hormones running through Vincent's system, for the baby, had severely unbalanced his brain.

Chaos explained that his inner Manor, once filled with large tomes, had become filled with frequently falling Post-it notes.

Merlin and Aerith informed Cid that Vincent would regain his sanity by the beginning of his third trimester… in two months.

Cid felt certain he would be crazier than Vincent by then.

Since Vincent refused to come down, and Chaos told him to fuck off and die, when he asked for help, Cid jerry-rigged an open intercom system, so he could keep an "eye" on his babies. The sound system comforted Cid, to hear Vincent's breathing, and comforted Vincent to hear Cid's ranting.

Vincent couldn't rest, if he didn't hear his beloved Captain's bellows.

Sephiroth still came every night for their night hunts. Whenever Vincent asked where he had been, at Cid's prompting, he always replied he had been "in his room."

Every evening, when father and son returned, Sephiroth would sing Vincent and his little sister to sleep.

Leon would stay up, or wake up, so he could sit on the couch and listen. His womb would glow at the sound of Sephiroth's song.

Cid and Leon had been surprised, one night, when Yuffie crept out from where she had been hiding. Big, brown eyes filled with tears. While Leon rocked her close, she explained that Sephiroth sang old Wutaian folk songs. Her mama used to sing them to her too, before she died.

The wonderful nightly memory became treasured by all.

Especially Chaos, who burned with demonic pride, over his baby. A true Prince of the Darkness.

XXX

About to leave for morning patrol, Cloud heard Leon gasp in awe. He turned, but then shielded his eyes, when a blinding light filled the room. When the light went away, he brought his arm down, to find Leon clutching his belly and crying.

Scared for the baby, Cloud ran over to Leon, and held him tight. "Squall, what's wrong? Is it the baby? What is it? Tell me. You know I can't take when you cry."

Leon sniffed loud, shaking his head no. "Nothing's wrong, Cloud. In fact, everything's right. Zack's whole again. His heart's inside me now too. Oh, Cloud! I wish you could feel what I feel. He makes me so warm inside. He's happy. My baby's so happy. Thank you for giving him to me, Husband. Thank you so much."

Cloud laughed, kissing Leon all over his tear-stained face. "Silly Kitten. You had me worried. You don't have to thank me. I'm just grateful you never gave up on me. Gods knows, I gave you plenty of reasons. Stay well, Kitten. Just love my baby and stay well."

"With Zack under my heart, I can be no other way, Cloud. I can't wait until he's born. Sephiroth will be so happy." Leon felt Cloud stiffen at Sephiroth's name.

When he backed up, Leon felt somewhat shocked at Cloud's face. He hadn't seen that stone mask in so long. He then remembered the last time he saw the expression.

Cloud had been dead set on killing Sephiroth.

Leon had to stop the Beast's control right away. He knew just how to accomplish the task.

Grabbing Cloud's head, Leon gave him a deep kiss. Taking in a big taste of Cloud's mouth, he licked his lips on the way out. "Relax, love. I'm Zack's Mommy. I'm safer than safe. We all are. Please remember. For not my sake, or Vincent's, at least for Zack. Our baby loves Sephiroth. While you're my Darkness, Sephiroth's his. You promised you would leave him alone. Remember?"

Leon gave a big sigh of relief, watching the Darkness recede from Cloud's body.

Raising Leon's hand, Cloud kissed the palm gently.

Leon petted Cloud's spiky locks.

Cloud rubbed his head in Leon's hand for comfort. "Yeah, I know everyone's safe. Everyone but me. We're going to have to fight one of these days. I don't know if I'll be able to find you again, My Light. Sephiroth knows the Darkness well. Vincent and Chaos will find him, and get him out to be with Zack. I don't have that option. I don't know what I'm going to do if the Beast takes full control again. I barely crawled out last time."

Looking up, Cloud felt somewhat depressed, when he saw his Light not paying the slightest bit of attention to his woes.

Leon had tilted his head, with a far-away look, like he listened to something. Like Sephiroth. Just like…

Cloud held his breath, until Leon looked back at him, with a beautiful smile. He hoped. He hoped so bad.

"I can hear him, love. I can hear my baby. He's funny. He's so funny. He's so full of love, Cloud. We're so blessed. We truly are."

Taking firm hold of Cloud's hands, Leon stared into Mako-blue eyes, making sure he had Cloud's full attention. "Don't get angry, but this request comes straight from my baby, and I'm going to make sure we honor it. I won't have my baby sad because of us, Cloud. Do you hear me?"

Cloud frowned. He knew the request had to be about Sephiroth, but he nodded anyway. "What is it?"

Nothing brought out the Lion's glare quicker, than something disturbing his cub.

Once born, Cloud knew Zack would be riding that horse to death, crowing all the way.

"Vincent's in no shape to help Sephiroth battle the Darkness now. He doesn't even recognize Yuffie. Zack told him, before he came to me, that if Sephiroth felt in dire straits, he should come, and talk to Zack, through me. Zack will be able to talk him down like before. Please be understanding, Cloud. Sephiroth did the same for us, for over a year-and-a-half. It's the least I can do for my baby. Please?"

Grumbling, Cloud looked down, but nodded his head yes.

Leon clapped his hands together, with joy, then hugged his Husband tight.

Cloud returned his Light's embrace, but continued to grumble. "I just know Zack and Sephiroth are gonna gang up on me. Tell you all the stupid stuff I did. You just remember I was less than a teenager when all this happened. I could barely walk without falling down."

Leon had to stifle sudden laughter.

Zack had supplied his Mommy, with the visual of a baby Cloud falling on his ass, because Zack had packed his duffel bag too much. He had squawked like a chocobo.

Oh, what a mischievous baby he had. Leon couldn't wait to hold him in his arms. He sent a wave of loving light to his baby.

Zack giggled, sending waves of love back. He loved his Mommy so.

If Cloud hadn't gotten the hint, ignoring Leon at the Coliseum, Zack would have found a way out of the Lifestream to throttle him.

Cloud may be a chocobo-head, but at least he knew a good thing, when he swished his tight ass in front of him.

"All right, love. But I should warn you, our baby's already talking out of turn. Unfortunately, you were right. I love him even more."

"Yeah, Zack's gifted. Well, I better hurry up and start my patrol. Cid's strung tight as it is."

Leon rested his hands on his belly, nodding his head. If not for the steady supply of cigarettes and tea, he knew Cid would've yelled, "Fuck it all!," and put his picture in Vincent's book. "I'm just glad Vincent has that picture book now. It's also a good thing you regenerate. I thought Yuffie had been exaggerating. Vincent really is the best. He shot you in each buttock, twice, before you even turned around."

"Not funny, Kitten. Aerith still had to dig the bullets out before I regenerated."

"Of course, love. Not funny at all. See you at lunch."

Frowning at the merriment shining in his Light's eyes, Cloud kissed him anyway, and walked out of their bedroom. He closed the door behind him.

Waiting, until he heard the front door open and slam shut, Leon collapsed into gales of laughter, along with his baby. Belly glowing with joy.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Was gonna go canon with Sephiroth, but it just didn't jive with the Sephiroth that I had built up. I also couldn't do that to my Vincent. The solution came to me, in a flash, while waiting for my Dad at the eye doctor's office. Yay, eye doctor! The origin of this premise is from the Riku Replica in KH Re:COM. If you haven't played it yet, go do it! Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 1/10/09. Revised 4/13/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Seph's in trouble, of the Organization kind. Cloud rescue! Dinnertime at the Committee House.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Seph in Flesh (Now Times Two)/Zack No Longer In Heart, Loony Vincent Angst, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Protective Chocobo, Confident Lion, Sora being Sora, Yuffie being Yuffie, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 14 - Double Trouble**

XXX

"Saix, is the Puppet ready?"

"Yes, Superior. While we speak, the plans have been put into action. The double has been sent forthwith to entice and trouble the Dark One."

"Excellent. His implanted memories are sound?"

"The implants consist only of the memories Demyx had been able to gather in the Dark Lands, before the beautiful one frightened him away. However, the memories should be more than sufficient for our needs."

"Remember, My Luna Diviner. Until the son is under our thrall, his father remains off-limits from your cravings. Kingdom Hearts is the main goal. Remember always."

"My apologies, Superior. You have brought your underling's wandering mind back to the task at hand. I shall leave the Demon alone, until the time is right."

"I understand, Saix. The wait troubles me also. The babe's strong heart of Light has now joined with the Mother's. I feel the strong call drawing me in, even now, under Kingdom Hearts' mighty glow. We must persevere, Saix. For Kingdom Hearts, we must be strong."

"I humbly bow to your great advice, Superior. With Kingdom Hearts, we shall receive all."

"Exactly, Saix. Exactly."

XXX

"Give in to the Darkness. Beloved has left us alone and bereft. Nothing remains here for you. Give in and become a God once more."

"Your words bleed poison. Father has reminded me countless times. The Darkness relishes pain and personifies deceit. I shall find no power within its cloying embrace . Be gone, Demon. I shall hear your words no more."

"Father? Vincent Valentine? The one who helped slay you before? He has also left you. Left you for the coarse one and his 'princess.' He has already replaced you with another. One also strong with the Darkness. You have no place in their family. Give in, I say. The Darkness shall be both Father and Mother. For you, The Darkness shall be all."

At the thought of his growing baby sister, Sephiroth swung mighty Masamune around, meeting his doppelganger head on. No one would hurt his baby sister. No one.

The combatants traded blows, with no end in sight.

If Cloud hadn't arrived, sensing the great disturbance in the Darkness, Sephiroth would have fought his double until the end of time.

The doppelganger flew rapidly up into the sky, away from the pair, when Cloud attacked him from the back.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not Sephiroth. Not even close. Your stench reeks of the Darkness. You may have the General's moves and reflexes, but you're no Sephiroth. Go back to where you belong or you die here."

The twin Sephiroth grinned maliciously, pointing Masamune towards Cloud's heart, glowing bright with Leon's constant love and Light. "My stench, you say? The puppet should talk. This odor came from you. Deny the Beast all you want. Run to your Light, while you can. The Darkness shall swallow you whole. I have been given this mission, and I have sworn to see it through."

Cloud snarled, jumping up, to attack the grinning Demon.

Sephiroth grabbed his arm, holding him back. "No, Strife. He desires this very reaction. You fight him and you fall into Darkness's Abyss. Think of Zack's Mommy, Strife. He needs you."

"So, the General controls the puppet once more. Amusing. Take care, Puppet and Other. We shall meet again. I promise you." With that dire warning, the doppelganger disappeared, in a miasma of Darkness.

Cloud growled, seeing the enemy get away. However, he knew Sephiroth had been right. Feeling the Beast yanking at constraints even now, he needed to get to his Light fast.

"Thank you, Strife. I do not deserve your help. Thank you all the same."

Cloud backed up, looking down to the ground. When Sephiroth sounded like the General, he had once been, he always reverted back to being a low infantryman. "Didn't do it for you. Promised Zack's Mommy, and Zack, I'd look out for you. Never broke a promise to Zack, and I never will. We gotta mosey. I need my Light and Vincent's been calling for you. Time for dinner. He says he misses his baby."

Gladdened his father still remembered him, in spite of the delusions, Sephiroth smiled. Turning, he sped towards the Committee House. He could teleport, but sometimes he liked to run, especially with a fellow SOLDIER by his side. Just like old times.

Cloud shook his head, in amusement, finding himself amazed at Sephiroth's speed. He ran to catch up to the multi-winged Angel. His Light and cub waited for him.

All stood quiet in the Dark Depths, when the Other Sephiroth reappeared grinning. All had gone according to plan.

The Superior would be so pleased.

XXX

"Two Sephiroths!?! What the fuck? Wasn't one of ya enough? The Organization made 'nother one?" Cid yelled into the intercom, since Sephiroth ate his dinner up on the roof with Vincent.

Sephiroth ate his fill, feeding his father also.

Vincent refused to let go of his baby, when he heard he had been attacked. He felt so confused. If the bad one looked just like his baby, how would he be able to shoot the stranger? The picture book couldn't help him with this dilemma.

Cid reassured Vincent he would always recognize his baby.

Cloud backed Cid up.

Vincent would know the bad one, by his smell. The scent had been completely foreign from Sephiroth's.

Chaos confirmed the fact. If the bad Sephiroth came, thinking he could confuse and entice, using Vincent's love for bait, he would meet with the true King of Darkness. Chaos couldn't wait.

Sora stopped stuffing his face and attempted to think. He had stopped by, with Donald and Goofy, to drop off some priceless herbs he had gotten from Rafiki in the Pride Lands.

Rafiki had given them, when Sora informed him that Leon would be having a cub. He swore the herbs would ease Leon's labor.

Aerith had squeed, hugging Sora hard. when he gave them to her.

Rafiki's words had been correct. The herbs would be perfect, for both Leon and Vincent, when the babies came.

Aerith hung the small satchel around her neck. Herbs from the Pride Lands had always been highly prized. Anyone, who tried to take them, would get Princess Guard shoved right up their ass.

Cid roared with merriment. A swearing Aerith showed up less often than Holy. He would prize the memory forever.

"Double? Hmm. Sounds familiar. Can't quite place it, but I feel like I've come across it before. Man, it's right on the tip of my tongue."

Yuffie petted Sora's head.

Sora had arrived, filled with great delight, to show the group his new Thunder upgrade, won in the Pride Lands.

Cid had thumped a big knot on his head, when he almost blew Vincent off the roof.

Merlin danced with joy. His magical shield had been a triumph!

Vincent had slept through the commotion. He didn't even wake up, until Sephiroth arrived with Cloud. However, he did wonder where his tent had disappeared to.

Sora promised he'd send Vincent another one in the next two days.

Cid thumped his head again. "Ya fuckin' better! Numbskull!"

The group didn't know what to do.

Sora wanted to go and fight the Bad Sephiroth himself.

Leon hugged Sora tight, making his little brother swear not to set foot in the Dark Depths, without Cloud by his side.

Sora had whined, but promised, giving a gentle hug to Leon's warm, glowing belly.

Zack, in Leon's mind, whined along.

Leon shushed him. Uncle Sora fought well, like Mommy and Daddy, but his skills lay nowhere near Sephiroth's league.

Agreeing, Zack asked for some more corn.

Leon replied he needed spinach for his bones to grow.

Sulking, Zack blew an inner raspberry.

Leon, feeling guilty, ate two more bites of corn.

Giggling, Zack sent him waves of love.

Leon giggled back. He didn't mind being a sucker for his growing Puppy.

"We could all gang up on him! It worked last time!"

"Uh, Yuffie. We ain't supposed to bring that up 'round the Missus. Remember?"

Yuffie gulped. Looking downwards to her plate, she stuffed her face, to get the taste of foot out of her mouth. She had truly forgotten.

Vincent's soft sobs filled the room.

Sephiroth began to sing to comfort his father.

Vincent had made the debilitating shot, making a crazed Sephiroth falter. This had given Cloud the opening to kill him the first time."Forgive, My Own. Forgive."

Sephiroth halted his singing to return his father's embrace."I have nothing to forgive, Father. You tried your best. I know you will always be here for me. Thank you."

Sephiroth resumed his singing, not stopping, until his father had fallen fast asleep. He had always thought the singing lessons Hojo had forced on him to be a waste of time.

Zack had adored his singing, back during the Wutai War.

When Sephiroth had found out Zack had died, after his first resurrection, he believed he would never sing again.

Embracing his sleeping father, Sephiroth thanked the Gods for taking pity on his black soul. He shuddered, thinking back on his meeting, with the other one. He never wanted to be like that again.

Sephiroth believed, with the help of his father, Zack's love, and the steady guidance of the Captain, the past would not come back to trouble him. He, at least, hoped.

XXX

Cloud ate, like a robot, while his Light chatted away, with his adopted little brother. He had resigned himself, with having to fight this particular Sephiroth. He now acknowledged that Sephiroth, with Leon, Vincent's, and Zack's help, would never fight him. He had become content with the knowledge.

Leon had been right.

Zack loved Sephiroth right down to his Darkness-filled heart.

Cloud swore he would never let Zack down again. To his dismay, this new Sephiroth knew exactly how to push the Beast's buttons. If the General hadn't stopped him from advancing, in the Dark Depths, he would be battling the doppelganger in Darkness's Abyss right now.

With the Beast in control, Cloud would be forever fighting, never to see his Light, or feel his love again. He knew Leon would be safe with the General, but this other Sephiroth seemed an unknown quantity. Once again, his Light lived in danger.

Cloud began to growl with anger.

Leon, feeling Cloud's Beast rising to the fore, halted his conversation, and hugged Cloud tight. Purring, Kitten kissed the side of his Beast's head.

Cloud stopped growling and blinked. Turning towards a worried Leon, he gave him a deep kiss. "You're in danger. Both you and our cub. I don't know what to do. If I fight him, I'll be sucked into the Abyss for sure. How will I be able to find you in all that Darkness? Help me, Squall."

Leon tilted his head.

Cloud smiled, knowing he listened to Zack.

Zack had been a goof, but he always steered Cloud in the right direction.

Cloud needed Zack's advice more than ever.

Leon's eyes cleared and he beamed towards Cloud.

The Beast, in Cloud, purred to his Kitten. His Light and cub. He loved them so. "Zack said to look for My Light. If he's still inside me, he'll shine too. You remember how bright his light glowed? Our Light combined will bring you home. My cub promises, and I believe him."

Cloud drew Leon close.. "Okay, Zack. You're always right. I'll look for your Mommy's Light. I'll find it for sure, and return home to the both of you. I promise."

Zack giggled, swimming inside his beautiful Mommy's womb.

Silly Chocobo-head. Daddy worried too much. Cloud liked to curse himself that way. Good thing he married Mommy.

Working with Mommy, the Darkness never stood a chance. Mommy would take care of everything. Mommies were good like that.

"Cloud, I love you, but Zack wants dessert. I wonder if you can get me some."

Releasing Leon, Cloud frowned. "I thought Aerith said you needed to cut back on the sweets. Zack was getting too much sugar."

Leon grinned. "Zack said you better get it, or he'll tell me some more stories about you."

Cloud growled in annoyance. Puppy talking out of turn again. "Like what?"

"Something about a central tunnel in Junon and a certain heaving infantryman."

Cloud inhaled. "You little… Zack! You swore you would never tell!"

Leon grinned, hearing Zack giggle with glee."Better hop to it, SOLDIER."

Cloud grumbled, but got up to get the cake. He had told his commanding officer he got motion sickness. The officers never listened.

Cloud knew the Puppy would use the memory to bite him in the ass one day. Some best friend.

Leon wrapped loving arms around his waist, rocking his funny little baby.

"_Hey, Mommy? Am I going to be a hero in this life too?"_

"You already are, Baby. You already are."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: We've hit the 5th month/Second Trimester mark! I understand, in the game, Leon's still his svelte self and is as thin as a rail. At the fifth month, Leon would at least have the cute baby pudge right before he gets huge. I say use your imagination and that belt buckle covers a lot. As for the name of Vincent's baby, I actually came up with that before the story of "Strategy" was ever written. Yep, Baby Zack and other baby came to me even before Cloud/Leon. Funny, ain't it? Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally published 1/14/09. Revised 4/13/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Zack's made a friend already! Sephiroth helps Zack's Mommy.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), CID!/Vincent

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Seph in Flesh (Now Times Two), Lovable Puppy Zack, Loony Vincent/Protective Chaos, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Doting Lion, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

**Chapter 15 - Discoveries Ahead!**

XXX

The fifth month, or second trimester, of Leon's and Vincent's pregnancies had arrived.

Glowing, and feeling better than ever, Leon's love for his ever-talking Puppy grew, with every passing day.

Vincent still lived up on the roof, shooting for 'perps,' not designated Kin by the Captain.

Grumpy Chaos had planned on going back to sleep, when neither the Bad Sephiroth, nor Organization XIII attacked. For some reason, he decided to stay awake.

The Captain became automatically suspicious. Ms. Snooty didn't just halt his plans for nothing. Cid knew the reason had something to do with his baby, who now went by the nickname "Junebug."

Vincent found the nickname darling.

Chaos thought the moniker ridiculous for his Princess, but he loved his Sky, so he let the matter be.

Both Chaos and Vincent understood the great strain their Light fell under. If he wanted to nickname their beloved baby, Junebug, that would be fine.

"Cid?"

"Hey, Son. How's mah grandbaby doin'?"

"He's fine. Actually, Zack wants to tell you something."

"What's the Puppy need? Zack knows his Grampa Cid'll get the little bugger anythin' in the Worlds if'n he can!"

"Zack says he wants to tell you the baby's name."

"Hee. How would the Puppy know mah Junebug's name?"

"She told him."

"The fuck?"

"Seems our babies have been talking to each other for two weeks."

"How the fuck can they even do that? Vince's layin' up there'n yer down here. Know damn well the Chocobo wouldn't let ya fly up there, even if Sephiroth carried ya."

"I asked my baby about that too. He just giggled and, from what I felt, started doing squats again."

"Sneaky kid. Kin's gonna be the death of this old man."

"Captain! Not even in jest!"

"Simmer down up there! Captain ain't goin' nowhere! Got too much shit to do."

Leon had to stifle his laughter at Cid's expression.

How Cid could take all this insanity, and not go insane himself; Leon would never know. He just felt glad Cid would always be around.

Vincent and his four demons would make sure.

"Well, let's hear it. What's my Junebug's name?"

"Oh! Her names's Lucy."

"Fuck? Lucy!?! Like Lucrecia? Like that fuckin', hurt my baby, glad she's locked up in that fuckin' crystal forever Lucrecia?"

"Like my mother's name?"

Leon and Cid both turned, to find Sephiroth standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

Leon's womb glowed in hello.

Cid grunted, refusing to be cowered. No way his Junebug would be named after Sephiroth's mother. Captain wouldn't hear of it.

Sephiroth smiled over to Leon. Gaze moving down to where his Beloved grew strong. "Chaos called me over from the Dark Depths. He said I needed to hear something. Strife has temporarily taken over my post for the time being."

"Sephiroth! What you know 'bout all this? Junebug talk to you too?"

Sephiroth tilted his head, while looking up. Glowing eyes narrowing, he growled. "Father Chaos has been keeping her quiet. He does not want the Organization to know she is now cognizant. He fears the beings will attempt to use the Darkness to influence her in the womb."

"Oh, Cid!"

"Calm down up there! Ain't no one gunna talk mah Junebug inter nothin'! She may be some Princess of the Darkness, but she's still a Highwind, through and through. If there's anythin' my kin's famous fer, it's our mule headedness! Ain't no one gonna tell us shit!"

Vincent's worried sobs filtered through the intercom.

With Cid's nod of the head towards him, Sephiroth teleported up to the roof, to embrace his worried father.

Cid didn't want to say anything, but he too worried. He had counted on the Organization attacking them from the outside. The thought never occurred to him that the enemy would go after his Junebug in the womb.

Cid slammed a fist on his computer. Even his precious baby wasn't safe from those Organization fuckers.

Cid grunted, feeling Leon's reassuring hand, on his strong shoulder. "If it helps, Zack's kept her from being frightened. He told her Mommy Chaos wants her to play hide-n-seek, from the bad men in the hoods. I know you don't like the name, but Zack swears that's the name she called herself by, when the babies first began to talk to each other. Her name's not Lucrecia. Her name's Lucy. She introduced herself to my baby as Lucy Highwind, Princess of the Darkness."

Cid sniggered at that. A Highwind princess. Wonders never ceased for the Captain. "Lucy. Huh. Still gonna be mah Junebug, even when she's a hunnerd and ten!"

"Of course, she will, Cid. Just like Zack will always be my Puppy."

Cid clapped a strong, scarred hand over Leon's reassuring one, to thank him, in his time of doubt. "Been a good son to this old man, Leon. Done the Captain proud. Gonna be a good Mommy to mah grandbaby fer sure."

"Well, I should be. I was raised by the Captain."

Grinning, Cid turned back to the intercom. "Hey up there! Let me talk to mah Junebug! Time fer her to know the family creed!"

"Cid! She is far too young to hear such foul language!"

"Ah'm her Daddy. If'n she don't start to hear it now, Ah might as well be mute fer the rest of mah days!"

"Well, I would certainly be happy."

"Shut it, Ms. Snooty! Yer in trouble enough fer knowin' my baby was talkin,' and not lettin' the Captain in on it! Know better than to keep things from the Captain, Chaos. Swore when ya married me, ya wouldn't do it no more. Swore it true. Hurt mah heart, Chaos. Right down to the bottom."

"For the babe, My Sky. Our love shall be forever, but the babe's protection must stand above all. Even more than the Firstborn, who can battle the very Gods without fear, our Princess must be protected at all costs. I am sorry for deceiving you. I am not sorry for protecting my Princess."

"Well. Any of them Organization fuckers try this shit yet?"

"Only four."

"Whuh! Why the fuck didn't ya tell me! Goddamit! That's why Ah'm dyin' a slow death down here!"

"Calm, My Sky. Calm yourself. The intruders did not come close to the babe's cradle. The creatures wandered lost in the Manor. My Darkness obscuring all from their sight. Be comforted, my love. All is well."

"Cradle, huh. Betcha already got the kid spoilt. Jest a workin' man, Chaos. Kid better not get used to the frills."

"A little glitter and lace, My Sky. Passing pretties for her eyes to follow. The Puppy visits often, and I entertain her with tales of the sky, and you, My Love. She wishes to fly, Captain. She wants her Daddy to fly her high."

"Don't you worry. Listen up, Junebug! If'n there's anything that yer Daddy knows better than swearin', fightin', and lovin' yer Mommies, it's flyin'!"

"She loves you, My Sky. My Princess loves you."

"Right back atcha, Junebug. Right back atcha."

"Captain, I am also curious of the Highwind family creed. Pray tell. What is it?"

"Firstborn! There is no need-"

"Sephiroth needs to hear this too! He's family, and gonna be protectin' my Junebug, when this old man's dead and gone!"

"Hmph. Very well, but I still think it is quite distasteful. Go ahead."

"Thank ya kindly, Chaos. The family creed is, "Don't take shit from nobody!" Even got in on the Highwind family crest somewhere!"

"Father Chaos, inform me again, why you love the Captain?"

"I sometimes wonder myself, Firstborn."

XXX

"Thank you so much for walking me to Ansem's old study. I've read through all the books in the Castle Library already. There's some old studies of Hollow Bastion that I want to go back over with Cid. I'll pick them up and we're back to the House."

"I do not mind, Zack's Mommy. Your Light, combined with Beloved's, feels quite soothing to me. However, I must wonder, do you not fear that I could be the imposter?"

Grinning, Leon hooked an arm around Sephiroth's, while the pair walked into the Corridors, leading to the old Study. "Absolutely not. Zack swore that he would know his Angel, even if you came to him in the form of a jackass."

"Comforting, Beloved."

"Isn't he? I believe he's already taking after Grampa Cid."

"Hmph."

Sephiroth surveyed the Study, while Leon rummaged through old papers. He used all his enhanced senses to pick out anything, which could hurt either Zack, or Zack's Mommy.

Sephiroth's blue cat-eyes alighted on a certain part of the curved room. "Zack's Mommy. Do you know a curtain of Darkness hangs in this room?"

Leon looked up and around. He backed up quick, towards Sephiroth, with the studies clutched in shaking hands. "No! Of course not! I would never come here if I knew that! I would never put my baby in danger!"

Sephiroth patted Leon's shaking shoulder to calm him down. "Calm yourself, Zack's Mommy. The power remains benign. The curtain hangs to obscure, not to harm. If you would like, I will dispel the curtain for you. These curtains usually hid rooms of great importance. Perhaps the unveiling would help you, and the Captain, in your endeavors."

Leon's common sense told him to wait, but Zack's curiosity had become infectious.

The Puppy inside rolled around, dying to find out what lay behind the door. He hoped the treasure would be candy.

"If you think it's safe, Sephiroth. Okay."

"Stay behind me, Zack's Mommy. Remember, your safety remains paramount."

Leon nodded. Eyes glued to the area Sephiroth had earlier noted.

Sephiroth raised one hand.

To Leon's astonished eyes, the doorway of Darkness appeared, solid like the walls. The curtain flickered, and then dissipated, leaving the bare wall behind.

Leon somewhat deflated, while hearing his Puppy whine inside. The curtain didn't cover anything at all. "I guess it hung there to fool people. Doesn't make sense though. Why would you have a curtain of Darkness covering a bare wall?"

Tilting his head, Sephiroth squinted enhanced eyes.

Wincing, Leon petted his belly, while Zack began to jump up and down inside.

Zack knew that look well. Angel found something good!

Slowly holding up one gloved hand, Sephiroth placed his palm on the wall, to the right of where the curtain had been. He jumped back, to protect Zack's Mommy, when the wall slid open to reveal an open hallway.

Leon felt, at first, extremely frightened, until he heard a familiar humming sound. The sound seemed familiar. He heard the noise every day, reading from the couch in the family room. The noise sounded like… computers!

Leon squealed with delight. Before Sephiroth could block the way, he had run through the formerly secret hallway, right into the Main Computer Room.

Sephiroth ran up behind him, with a deep frown on his face. He turned Leon around, so he could talk to him. "Zack's Mommy! You must never do that again! You could have been hurt or injured! If not for yourself, think of Beloved!"

Leon hung his head. He had been so excited. The Committee had been looking for this room for years. Now the Computer Room had been opened! The data Leon would be able to collect from its databases would be invaluable for Hollow Bastion.

Leon looked back up to Sephiroth with a thankful gaze. "I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I'm just so excited. We've been looking for this room, since we first arrived years ago. I didn't believe we would ever find it. Thank you so much for finding it for me."

Sephiroth stayed still, while Leon embraced him warmly. Minding his own strength, he petted Leon's back. "No trouble. I am relieved I had been able to help you. You have done so much, for Zack and I. There is nothing I would not do for you."

"Well, thank you again. I can't wait to tell Cid and the others of the good news."

"Yes, the Captain shall be well pleased. Tell me, what does the Puppy think of the discovery?"

Leon listened and smiled. "He wanted the treasure to be candy."

"Hmph. Typical Puppy. So he would know me even if I appeared looking like a jackass?"

"Yep. A silver one. You should see the picture he has of you in my head. You're wielding Masamune with your teeth, braying away."

"Hmph. I love you, Puppy. I truly do."

"He loves you too, Sephiroth."

"I know. I am just reminding myself of the fact."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Yes, I've removed almost all of the KH2 Sora scenes, but this story is ultimately Leon's. Yep. It's not Cloud or Sephiroth/Zack. I had to remind myself of the fact. It really helped to get my focus back. I'm spending my mental hiatus working on improving my writing skills. Am I getting better? Worse? Who can say? Oh, that's right. You can. (Resumes hiding behind Baby Zack holding up Buster Sword) Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally updated 2/5/09. Revised 4/13-14/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Beast loves his Kitten. Password? Not a Safer Sephiroth.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), Cid/Vincent, Sephiroth (In Flesh)/Zack (In Spirit)

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Protective Chocobo, Protective Mommy Lion, Uncle Sora being Uncle Sora, Stitch say Aloha!, Seph in Flesh (Now Times Two), Crying Puppy Zack, Cid-inspired Cursing, Return of the King, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, Ref. KH2 Plot and Dialogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness.

**Chapter 16 - If Thee Appeared In The Form of a Jackass…**

XXX

Leon awoke to the familiar drive of Cloud's Beast making love to him in the morning light. A bitten lip stifled a groan, when Cloud brushed up against his prostate. **B**lue-grey eyes fluttered open, meeting a love-filled gaze.

Smile sweetening Leon's rested face, the Light inside of him rose up, enveloping the purring Beast, driving away the stored up Darkness.

The Beast met his love's Light with enhanced thrusts. Gentle in nature, but determined enough to reaffirm his place in Leon's heart.

Cloud's nostrils flared with his Kitten's heady scent, which intermingled with their sleeping cub's. Mesmerized, he leaned in, to lick, and nuzzle what had been offered freely.

The Kitten purred in response, strengthening the hold around his mate's neck. He would never receive enough of Cloud's devotion.

Sensing the passage of time, Leon tightened his anal muscles, clenching them in tandem with Cloud's lunges, to bring his Beast along.

Cloud snarled at the challenge, wishing this small moment never to end. He knew he would receive another filling of Kitten for lunch, but the wait always seemed endless.

Leon grinned, at the sight of his Beast fighting off the inevitable. While rubbing his dripping erection against Cloud's stomach, Leon tightened up even further, moaning with the throbbing sensation.

Growling, The Beast thrashed away, fighting the body's need to come hard inside of its mate.

Wishing to lessen the pressure near his baby, Leon brought a hand down to finish himself off. All that he needed, consisted of one twist, sending his body into ecstasy. The semen dripped, from belly to rumpled sheet below; anal muscles clenched down hard.

Answering his mate's cries, Cloud came with a roar, and a shudder. Jerking hips stilling against Leon, ensuring his Kitten received all he had to give. Semen flowed in spurts.

Leon accepted Cloud's gift, with comforting kisses and caresses, calming the Beast down before the morning patrol.

With a sigh, and a nose nuzzle, Cloud disengaged himself from Leon's relaxed body, turning over to stand up and get dressed.

Leon petted Cloud's strong back, before Cid performed the daily pounding, on their abused door.

XXX

After Cloud left for morning patrol, Leon rubbed his lower belly, listening inside, to make sure Zack still slumbered.

Two days ago, while Cloud had been having his daily "lunch" of Kitten in the Computer Room, Leon had been severely traumatized, after Zack had been discovered awake.

Leon thought Zack had been deeply sleeping, when he received a startling flash of Zack, holding baby hands in front of big blue eyes; singing, "La la la la," over and over.

With a shriek, Leon flung a bewildered Cloud off his naked body. Clothing himself in a hurry, he ran towards the Committee House.

Asking what happened, Cloud followed, dodging Leon's back-handed blows.

When the couple arrived, Leon let fly what had occurred.

Retreating, beet-red, Cloud slunk outside, to await the verdict.

Sitting Leon down, a patient Aerith assured her shaken adopted brother, Zack would not be traumatized in the slightest.

Grampa Cid and Yuffie, laughing like hyenas at the tea table, did nothing to help Leon's anxiety.

Leon had to be reminded that Zack remembered his past life. If old tales held true, Zack had been quite the randy buck, before Sephiroth leashed the Puppy in.

Finishing lunch on the roof with a curious Vincent, Sephiroth concurred with Aerith's words. "Aerith speaks the truth, Zack's Mommy. Beloved had been most prized by all in Shinra. For this reason, he came to my attention in the first place."

Squinting, Leon rubbed his lower belly, almost giving the skin an Indian burn.

Mommy's much feared prudishness rose up, to gaze on his not-so-innocent babe inside.

Squatting away, Zack refused to meet Leon's disapproving inner glare. What was all the fussin' about? He had been a good boy...most of the time. Wasn't his fault the masses had loved the Zack.

With Aerith's calm reassurances to guide him, Leon walked outside towards his glum husband, and embraced his frightened body. "My baby seems to know more about sex than all of us put together, including Grampa Cid."

"I honestly didn't know, Squall. Zack had already mated, with Sephiroth, by the time we met. Whenever the subject came up, Zack would shush me, before Sephiroth would whap him on the butt with Masamune."

"I feel better now. But for my sake, let's make sure Zack's asleep, before the next time we have sex. Since he always sleeps late in the morning, I can still take care of your Beast then. Okay?"

The Beast fed by the Darkness, inside Cloud, snarled at the thought of being denied even a smidgen of his Kitten's Light.

Leon hushed the Beast with a particular glare Zack had delightfully termed "The Ultimate Mommy."

Nodding, with meek acquiescence, Cloud received his reward of a grateful kiss. "I'll be all right, Squall. I'm just happy you're not up on the roof, like Vincent. Cid fell off the last time they had sex."

Embracing Cloud's body close, Leon grinned with the memory. "Hmm. Good thing Sephiroth had returned from night patrol. I had no idea Sephiroth could blush so much."

Zack rolled around, glad to feel his parents' happiness again. "_Oh, Angel can blush harder than that, Mommy."_

Leon directed an inner frown, towards his bouncing baby boy. "_I'm chaperoning you until you're 18. I don't care if you were a SOLDIER at 16. You're my baby now."_

Zack pierced Leon's inner ear with the infamous Puppy whine. "_Mommy! I'll be marrying Seph. I'm not gonna do anything to hurt my Angel. Honest!"_

Leon nipped the whining firmly in the bud. He would have no whiners in his family. "_Hush now. Be glad you're not Lucy. Chaos has already declared death to all suitors."_

Zack's whining halted along with his squats. "_Mommy's always right. The Zack will shut up now."_

Leon purred, while Cloud petted his back. "_Good baby."_

XXX

Leon shook his head, when Sora, Donald, and Goofy nonchalantly exited the Computer Room, to ransack Ansem's old study.

The trio had returned from the very ether, to fascinate Leon with a tale of an inner computer world, which now held their new friend, Tron, prisoner. Without a certain password, neither the Computer's vital information, nor Tron could be freed from the insidious Master Control Program, named the "MCP".

With the sounds of destruction ringing in his ears, Leon set about cleaning the keyboard of various footprints, left by a fighting Stitch and Donald.

To Leon's relief, King Mickey had come by, right after the trio had disappeared. Calming a frantic Leon down, he had taken Stitch up to the Committee House.

Zack had giggled, and cooed, at the sight of King Mickey. Uncle Sora had already filled his head with the fantasy named Disney Castle. Once born, he couldn't wait to go visit.

Leon had no idea what had gotten into Stitch. For such a cute and fluffy creature, he seemed to cause no end of trouble.

When Sephiroth discovered Stitch, he almost staked the poor thing to the wall with Masamune. Only Beloved's Mommy's wailing cry halted the former General's rage towards the saucy creature.

Leon had instantly taken to Stitch, just like he had to the Dalmatians back in Traverse Town.

Like so many, Stitch had sensed Zack's presence from the start. The careful creature hugged Leon's glowing midriff; singing sweet songs of Ohana.

Zack requested instant adoption.

Sephiroth declared he would adopt a drunken Reno, before he allowed his Beloved to adopt Stitch.

Leon didn't know why his Puppy laughed for hours afterwards.

This Reno must have been quite an odd character in the couple's shared past.

"Hey, Leon! I think we found it!"

Leon glanced around the destroyed room, before his eyes rested on the diagram Sora pointed to. "What's this?"

Sora bounced, with a joyful Donald and Goofy bouncing along; pointing out the letters. "This must be the data space! The DTD. See? The Door to Darkness!"

Moving closer, Leon tilted his head to the side, rubbing his belly to calm an also bouncing Zack. "Well, what do you know. But…that still leaves the password."

Hearing a familiar voice pipe up, the group turned, directing full attention to the figure standing by the door, with his hood up. "Say, fellas. Did Somebody mention the Door To Darkness?"

After the three rushed him to say their hellos, King Mickey shushed the trio. "The Organization may be listening."

For some bizarre reason, Leon felt the need to wrap protective arms around his midriff.

Zack answered his Mommy's inexplicable fear with comforting waves of love and Light.

Feeling Zack's concern, Leon made himself calm down. He chastised himself for his own paranoia.

Except for that one time, Leon had not seen one Organization member. Having no foundation to base his fear on, he returned his attention to the murmuring group, when King Mickey held a finger up.

"Oh, I guess you mean like a code. Well, the Door To Darkness can only be opened by the seven princesses. There's Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle…"

Leon laughed to himself. The answer had been in front of his scarred face all along. He probably would have found the answer himself, if Zack's Daddy hadn't insisted on 'helping' him all the time. "Of course."

Turning around, Leon walked back to the computer room.

Peering down at the keyboard, Leon typed in the data needed, to send Sora, Donald, and Goofy back to the Pit, where Tron sat imprisoned. While doing this, he also sent a prayer to the Heavens, thanking his old teacher Quistis Trepe. Her relentless browbeating had made a taciturn teenage Squall stay late and study harder at the computer.

"_Who was Quistis, Mommy? Her name sounds pretty." _

Humming the old Balamb Garden drill song, Leon inputted the final code. "_She was Mommy's old teacher, and a good friend. You would have liked her, Baby. She could fire a carrier's machine gun better than anyone. She saved Mommy's life, so I could come here, and take care of you and Daddy."_

Cuddling himself into a little ball, inside Leon's womb, Zack readied himself for his afternoon nap. "_I wish I could have met her. I think I would have liked her, Mommy."_

Walking back to Ansem's Study, Leon sent a wave of Light to his sleepy baby. "_She would have liked you too, Zack. Unlike silly Mommy, you would have known exactly what to say to make her happy, even when she was depressed."_

Entering the round room, Leon spoke up, getting the whispering group's attention. "Hey. Isn't Tron waiting for you guys?"

Sora, Donald, Goofy glanced back to the King, only to return their gaze back to Leon's questioning one.

King Mickey hurried their decision with the next declaration. "Don't worry. I'm not goin' anywhere. If those Heartless attack, I'll stand here and fight with everybody here. I'll see ya when you get back."

With an encouraging hug from both Leon and King Mickey, the three scrambled to the Main Computer, entering the computer world Sora had delightfully named "Space Paranoids."

XXX

Leon rested against the huge keyboard, with an oddly silent King Mickey at his side, waiting for the trio to return. "Cloud should be here soon to eat lunch with me. I know you want to run over more things with Cid and Merlin. Zack and I should be fine."

King Mickey didn't move a muscle, keeping his attention centered on the Computer Room's entrance. "I'm stayin' right here, Leon. Ya got a visitor comin'. Not gonna hurt ya, but he's still not of the Light. Sorta scary too."

Leon's eyebrows crinkled with confusion. Turning to receive more information from a stern-faced King Mickey, the question's answer showed up.

With the Darkness caressing his tall body, the false Sephiroth appeared in the doorway.

King Mickey, Keyblade in hand, motioned a terrified Leon behind him.

Knowing better than to argue, Leon huddled back against the keyboard, clutching his glowing midriff tight. Feeling his innocent baby wake up, he shook his head with dismay.

The false Sephiroth's eyes never left Leon's glowing middle. "I apologize. I do not remember much of our shared past like the true Sephiroth. I am a pale copy. The Superior informed me of this fact from birth. Do not fear for your Mommy's safety in the upcoming battle. The Superior wishes for him to bear many children for Kingdom Hearts, strengthening the Nothingness, while you will educated in the ways of the Nothingness. Of course, I will not be here to witness this. I am to force your Daddy's Beast into Darkness's Abyss, where we shall fight forever. I care not. For my Beloved's safety and life, I will gladly complete my mission. My one wish is to gaze on your precious Light this one time. Please, Beloved?"

King Mickey lowered his Keyblade. "This guy's not lyin', Leon. Fella just wants to talk to Zack one last time. Guess the battle's startin' sooner than we planned. I'm not goin' anywhere. It's your call."

Gazing hard at the silent doppelganger, Leon wanted to refuse the monster, but Zack's strident pleas melted his resolve. "_It's all he wants, Mommy. He'll go away then. Even if he's a copy, I can't stand to see my Angel in pain. Let me talk to him, Mommy. Please?"_

Standing up straight, Leon lowered his arms, so the Other Sephiroth could gaze on his stomach. "My baby asks me to. This is the sole reason I'm going through with this. I'll allow you to talk to my baby. When he doesn't want to talk anymore, you're gone. Do you understand me?"

The false Sephiroth's eyes filled with joyful tears. He nodded his affirmation, while speaking to his Beloved, inside Leon's glowing womb. "You belong to the true Sephiroth. I am just a toy, invented by malicious creatures, but the memory of my love for you holds true. I wish for you to know of this, before I complete my mission. The thought shall comfort me in the Abyss."

Listening for Zack's reply, Leon inhaled, hearing his baby's tears for the first time.

Even with the threat of imminent death looming before him, Zack had met life with a hearty Gongagan Wake-Up Call.

Sephiroth, consumed with madness and despair, had been the one thing capable of dampening Zack's Light.

Seeing the false Sephiroth, full of sadness and misery, Zack cried. "_No, Angel. I don't want to remember you like this. You're all better now. You're not the Sephiroth I now know. Bad people hurt my Angel again, Mommy. I hate them! I hate them so much! I hope Uncle Sora kills them all!"_

Petting his belly, Leon sent calming waves of love to Zack. "_No, My Baby. Don't hate. Don't ever hate. Leave the hatred to me and Daddy. We were made to unleash it on the bad people who hurt you. Don't cry, Zack. I'll let Uncle Sora know exactly how you feel. When Uncle Sora hears how the bad people made you cry, he'll kill them all. I promise you. You know Mommy always keeps his promises."_

Zack's crying stuttered to soft gasping hiccups. Little body quick to tire. He murmured, while falling back to sleep. "_Don't let the Other Sephiroth leave thinking I hate him. Not his fault the bad people made him bad, just like it's not Angel's fault what Shinra and Hojo did to him. Let him leave knowing I love him. Please, Mommy? No one should go to the Darkness thinking they're all alone and unloved."_

Leon flooded Zack, with soothing waves of Light, deepening his slumber. He then turned a stern gaze to the waiting false Sephiroth. "I understand you must complete your mission for the Organization. I won't attempt to stop you. Because I know for a fact, my husband will kick your ass, kill you, and return back from the Darkness, with our Light to guide him."

"You made my baby cry, which I find unforgivable. I have never heard him cry in grief before. I hope never to hear the sound again. Even though you're a puppet, and a toy, my baby wants you to leave here, knowing you're not alone. He told me to say that he loves you. I promised, so I'm saying it, but you don't deserve my baby's forgiveness, or his love. For certain, I will never forgive you."

The false Sephiroth blinked, tears running down his grateful face. A circle of Darkness appeared behind his figure. Bowing low, in subservience, he backed up into the circle. "I have My Beloved's love and forgiveness. I can now complete my mission and die content. My many thanks, Zack's Mommy."

King Mickey's Keyblade dematerialized, before catching a shaken Leon. He released his mighty Light to strengthen Leon's own. Unsurprised, he spied Aerith in the doorway, holding Lionheart in her petite hands. "Wish I could stay with ya, Leon. Battle seems to have started without us. Maleficent's never been patient."

Raising a steely-eyed gaze, to meet his adopted sister's determined one, Leon straightened up. He motioned King Mickey to the doorway. "I'm okay now. Go help the villagers. Aerith and I will fight from here."

Passing a speeding King Mickey, Aerith handed Leon his Gun-blade. She looked deep into his eyes, making sure he told the truth. She smiled, seeing the Lion's fire lit from within. "Cloud's waiting on the Hollow Ravine Trail. If you try fighting, without him by your side, he said Kitten will get spanked into next week."

Slinging his Gun-blade across his back, Leon grinned, with its comforting weight to guide him. Slinging his other arm around Aerith, the pair walked out to the Great Heartless Battle of Hollow Bastion. "Cloud can just sit down and drink his damned tea. Zack's Mommy's going to kick ass first, and not bother with names."

Aerith's sweet bells of laughter echoed down the Corridors, with only the enhanced ears of a grateful Toy to hear them.

The false Sephiroth ran over his first and final mission in his mind. To his consternation, a strange memory came to him from out of nowhere.

"_Do you ever want to fight for a reason?"_

The doppelganger ruminated over the memory, while rising up into the sky. If he had been the real Sephiroth, the answer seemed a simple one.

"_I have a reason. I call him Beloved, but his true name is Zack."_


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I'm such a Work-In-Progress with my writing. It's painful. Vincent Valentine and Zack Fair are from FF7. Originally published 2/11/09. Revised 4/14/09.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: The Great Heartless Battle. Leon's got some 'splainin to do.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), Cid/Vincent, Sephiroth (In Flesh)/Zack (In Spirit)

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Making Out, Protective Chocobo, Protective Mommy Lion, Uncle Sora being Uncle Sora, Seph in Flesh (Now Times Two), Crowing! Puppy Zack, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Protective Mommy Vincent, Xemnas Cameo, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, Ref. KH2 Plot and Dialogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness.

**Chapter 17 - Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer**

XXX

Swearing every curse word he had ever learned from Cid, Leon obliterated the Heartless and Nobodies before him. The anger from the earlier confrontation with the false Sephiroth, added to the fresh knowledge of he and Zack being in danger from the Organization, helped to fuel his wrath.

Aerith held firm behind him. Princess Guard at the ready to launch a spell. Sensing familiar auras dashing towards them, she turned to see Sora, Donald, Goofy. "Sora! Behind you!"

A new form of Nobody, lithe and agile, colored in pastel colors of peach and pink appeared before the dumbfounded trio.

Leon gasped, when one of them grabbed Sora by the head, and flung him around like a doll. He exhaled a sigh of relief, when Goofy's shield smashed down on the offender, freeing Sora.

Dodging the grasping hands of the Nobodies, the three destroyed the descending flock, with rallies of Thundaga and Whirli-Goofga.

Leon pointed, with his Gun-blade, before slicing another Heartless in half. "The King's in the Bailey. You better head over there!"

The ground shook below everyone's feet, while hundreds of thousands of Heartless stormed the cliffs, swarming over Hollow Bastion.

XXX

Back at the Committee House, Cid's fingers pounded the keyboard, ensuring the security system stayed up, in spite of all the fracas.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie directed all the women and children to the Marketplace. The brave men fighting around their loved ones, keeping the Heartless at bay.

Arms raised high, Merlin brought up an impenetrable magical shield, to surround the frightened women and crying children. With a fiery glare of determination, he fixed his position for the long haul.

Vincent had been informed, by a ranting Cid, to forget the 'goddamn' picture book, and shoot to kill everything. The booming triple shots of Cerberus filled the air.

Chaos, inside Vincent's head, held up his Princess, so she too could revel over the decimation of their enemies. Her father's ranting echoed through their mental mansion, soothing her fright, while bright blue eyes widened with awe. Such utter destruction, all at her fingertips once she was born.

Lucy clapped baby hands in delight. She couldn't wait.

Cid hoped, when the Organization realized the Committee wouldn't just lay down for them, the robes would piss off to wherever they came from, leaving his Junebug alone.

And the Heartless?

Grinning like a madman, Cid drank his tea in one gulp. Slamming the cup down, he typed even faster.

The bastards thought they could take down the Highwinds, and their adopted Kin? High time these fuckers got dealt but good.

The real Sephiroth, with the Highwind seal of approval, occupied himself in Villain's Vale, destroying the Heartless at the source. He wished nothing more than to go and protect Zack. But Aerith had reassured him, Cloud would keep Zack and Zack's Mommy safe, even if the false Sephiroth appeared to harass him.

With a sneer, Sephiroth called down another volley of Meteor. Infernal vermin. The cursed creatures had no idea who they dealt with.

While Sephiroth exterminated the Heartless at one end, the rest of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee planned to cut off the invaders, crushing them at the other end, before the enemy arrived at the village proper.

Cid had given his adopted children one order to follow when the Heartless attacked. "Kill the fuckers, stomp on 'em to make sure they stay dead, then move on to kill more fuckers, until there's no more to kill! Ain't none of ya allowed to die neither!"

XXX

Yuffie, in Super Great Ninja mode, caught her Mighty Shuriken when the weapon swung back to her. Death would come, before she admitted feeling tired, but her body betrayed her, when her legs gave out. Just in time, a blooming flower appeared over her sweaty head, and the thrum of Curaga raced through her body.

Jumping back up onto her feet, Yuffie grinned at a smiling Aerith, running forward to enter the fray once more.

Guarding her little sister's back, Aerith followed close behind, healing other warriors along the way.

Surrounded on both sides, by countless Heartless, Cloud and Leon stood back-to-back, with swords out and ready.

Leon gestured with his head towards the menacing throng, while lower belly glowed, with the thrill of the fight to come. "Think you can handle this many?"

Cloud shrugged. Feisty Kitten knew better. This would be just a warm-up for the Beast. "Well, might be tough if one more shows up."

Spying more Heartless appearing around their location, Leon purred with delight. "Then that'll have to be the one I take care of."

The Beast, inside Cloud, growled from the heat radiating from his mate. In the midst of battle, and still Kitten teased, someone would be getting a spanking later for sure. "What. You're fighting too?"

The couple jumped away from each other, decimating Heartless along the way, sending hearts floating into the sky.

The Gongagan Wake-Up Call rang in Leon's ears, while he parried. and slashed his way through. He grinned with happiness.

Having a ball, Zack watched his beautiful Mommy kick ass.

Everything went well, until Leon became cognizant of someone staring down at him. A strange lull in the action surrounded him and Zack. Taking a chance, he glanced up at the figure staring down at him.

When blue-grey eyes met yellow ones, Leon shuddered, fighting the urge to wrap an arm around his midriff. He needed both hands for his Gun-blade.

Feeling Leon's eyes, the man gazed at him, like viewing a prized chocobo. With a flick of his commanding silver eyebrow, the Heartless diverted, from all directions, to surround Leon and Zack for capture.

Leon frowned, when his baby's crowing stopped. "_Mommy? Someone's trying to talk to me. It's like they're knockin' on my door, tryin' to get in."_

Hearing the fright in his baby's voice, Leon growled, cleaving the Heartless bombarding him. "_Listen to my voice, Zack. Only Mommy's."_

Leon's fighting became more desperate, when he felt Zack's fear spike inside. "_Mommy. He won't leave me alone. He wants to be my Daddy, but I don't want him to be my Daddy. I told him Chocobo-Head's my Daddy. He laughed and told me Daddy was gonna die. Mommy, I'm scared. Make him go away."_

The Lion roared in defiance. The Organization would never get their hands on his baby. He swore this on Griever's might, unleashing his fury on the barrage of Heartless before him.

XXX

When the enigmatic man gave the silent order for Leon and Zack to be captured for the Organization, Cloud had been holding his own against the Heartless, until he found himself surrounded.

In a blink of an eye, the False Sephiroth destroyed them all, standing on the edge of the cliff. Walking forward, he directed his sword at Cloud. The thin blade sliding against First Tsurugi. "I understand that you've been looking for me."

Cloud stared him down. Physically, he had kept his promise to Leon, not seeking the False Sephiroth out, but the Beast had called out a constant Challenge across the Darkness. After weeks with no answer, he had been sure the False Sephiroth had given up. Apparently, the doppelganger had been biding his time, until the most opportune moment.

Cloud snarled in disgust. "Yeah, Once I get rid of you, the Darkness will go away."

Feeling the Beast awaken inside of Cloud, the doppelganger pushed further. "Can you do it? The Darkness comes from your own dark memories. Do you think you can erase your past?"

Cloud flinched, feeling the Beast inside, beginning to claw at its shackles. "Shut up!"

The False Sephiroth pressed his advantage. "Face it. You turn your back on the present, and live in the past, because the light of the present is too much."

Cloud felt his control slipping. "You don't know me!'

XXX

Leon stood his ground, but the Heartless continued the relentless assault. He felt himself tiring. Muscles aching with the strain. But the Lion would never give in, he and his baby would never be gained spoils.

To Leon's immense surprise, Tifa, from out of nowhere, came to his aid. Protecting his vulnerable back, she decimated the Heartless surrounding her.

"Tifa, I-"

"No time! Thank me later. The other Sephiroth's trying to take Cloud into the Darkness. You guys need to shine your Light!"

Hearing Auntie Tifa's orders, Zack released his Light, while his brave Mommy fought on.

Tifa ran, annihilating Heartless along the way, to get to Cloud. "Cloud!"

Cloud turned to look, hearing the frantic urgency of Tifa's voice. The brilliance of Zack's Light made him wince, but redirected the Beast's attention, sensing his cub's life in danger. He turned back towards the false Sephiroth, when his sword brushed against First Tsurugi again.

Also feeling Zack's fear, and checking to make sure his Master had left the scene, the False Sephiroth did not wish to put his love in any more danger. Master had assured him Zack would be safe, but Master told the truth simply when it served him best.

The False Sephiroth wished to take no chances, especially with his Beloved in mortal peril, but a parting shot never hurt. "I know. Because I am you."

With a yearning, heart-felt glance towards his Beloved's cherished Light, the False Sephiroth vanished, leaving a trail of feathers in his wake.

Cloud stared with uncertainty, at the empty space, where the False Sephiroth had stood. He was missing something. He would have to ask Leon later.

Leon!

Cloud looked towards Tifa with alarm.

Tifa pointed towards a battling Leon, surrounded by Heartless, waiting to pounce and seize.

Roaring with anger, Cloud flew to his mate's aid.

Covering his flank, Tifa back-fisted a Heartless, punching another, and crescent-kicking a third.

Noticing Cloud's speedy approach, a relieved Leon stilled his body. He concentrated on quieting Zack's fears, while his Daddy killed everything around them. "_Everything will be_ _okay, Zack. Daddy's here. We're safe._

Leon smiled, hearing his baby's victory crow in a soft whisper. He sent comforting waves of Light and love to Zack, not stopping until he felt Cloud's strong embrace.

"I want you and Zack to go back to the House. There's something else going on. I'm sure of it."

Shaking his head no, Leone disengaged himself from Cloud. He met Cloud's concerned gaze with his own. "We have to help Sora. Then we'll go back to the house."

Resolve crumbling under the intense "Ultimate Mommy" glare, Cloud picked Leon up, racing him to Sora's location. "We get little brother to the Crystal Fissure, then Kitten and Cub go back home. Promise?"

Leon kissed his cheek, while Cloud sped towards their destination. "I promise, Cloud. You're right. There's more to this than we first thought. I'll tell you everything later."

XXX

Yuffie, Tifa, Leon, and Cloud all did the ol' Captain proud, fulfilling their familial duty, by getting Sora to the Crystal Fissure.

Once a safe Sora met up with King Mickey, Donald, and a thankfully revived Goofy, the group fought their way back to the Committee House.

A loony Vincent had been about to shoot, when his Princess spoke up, gaining his attention. "_Don't shoot, Mama! They are Kin. Look! Big Brother's Beloved glows inside his Mommy. He's going to come and visit me soon. Remember, Mama? He promised."_

Chaos hushed his Princess, sensing the Organization still snooping around. However, Cerberus fell silent, much to the relief of the group below.

The whole group turned, when a great flash of light lit up the sky, from Sora's location.

Leon became filled with instant worry, "Sora! Donald! Goofy!"

Eyebrows furrowed, when he heard Cloud's light laugh, a confused Leon turned towards his husband.

"Relax. Those three aren't going down that easily." Cloud turned and walked away. Unlike Leon, he could sense Sora, Donald, and Goofy's movements through the Darkness. "The Keyblade's chosen one. He's a lucky kid."

Believing the secure conviction in Cloud's voice, Leon gazed up, with renewed hope, to the sky. The light turned into a long beam shooting straight up.

Hearing his baby oohing and aahing at the sight, Leon smiled, sending a prayer to the Gods, for his adopted little brother, Sora. "See you soon."

Leon turned to enter the house when his gaze landed on a hesitant Tifa.

Tifa fisted her hands next to her hips. "From our first meeting, I've never tried to get along with you. I could make up silly excuses, but I won't. Zack saved my life back in Nibelheim. The last thing he heard from me was that I hated Shinra and SOLDIER. It's true. I'll always hate them until the day I die. But I never hated Zack, no one could hate Zack."

"He chose you to be his Mommy and Cloud to be his Daddy. That's reality and I'll learn to deal with it. If you don't want to forgive my past behavior, I understand. I would just like to see Zack, once in a while, if I can. I figure if his Light can heal Sephiroth, perhaps he can help me too."

Walking forward, Leon grasped Tifa's fists. With great care, he unclenched them, and then placed her palms onto his glowing womb.

Feeling Zack's love and Light encompass her whole being, Tifa's brown eyes filled with happy, grateful tears.

Smiling, Leon spoke for his funny baby inside. "Zack loves you Auntie Tifa. He wants you to visit him every day. He says The Zack never says no to a pretty lady."

Tifa arched a saucy eyebrow up to Leon. "Zack's going to be quite a handful when he's born. Isn't he?'

Leon gazed down towards his baby. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

XXX

Waiting until he and Cloud had snuggled up in bed that night, Leon informed him of all that transpired in the Computer Room before the battle.

Cloud listened with a grave look on his face, but didn't seem surprised.

A false Sephiroth didn't pop up out of nowhere for no reason.

At least, Cloud knew now what the stakes entailed. Everything. The Organization wanted his mate and cub.

Without them, Cloud would wallow in Darkness's Abyss forever. Consciousness gone. His physical body would be ruled by the Beast, who would fight the False Sephiroth, for no other reason, but for the thrill of the battle.

Meanwhile, his mate would be treated like a brood mare, and his baby would be raised by a tyrant.

Cloud's embrace tightened, until his Kitten mewled in rebuke. The embrace loosened immediately, allowing his mate oxygen. "There's no other way. I have to fight him now."

Hiding his face in Cloud's chest, Leon nodded. "I know. If you don't, he'll never leave you alone. I don't want him here when Zack's born. He's already jealous of Sephiroth. I'm afraid he'll try to steal Zack and take him where I can't find him."

Holding Leon closer, Cloud kissed his forehead. "Sephiroth would never let that happen. You've never seen him in God Mode. This False Sephiroth's weaker than a bug compared to him."

Rubbing his cheek against Cloud's warm shoulder, Leon sighed. "Zack keeps reminding me. He's constantly trying to get Sephiroth to show off his super-duper moves. Sephiroth won't do it. He stated if Zack wanted to blow up the planet, he could do it himself, once he learned how to walk. Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better."

Running his hand through Leon's mane, Cloud stared up at the ceiling. "I'll come back. No matter how far I go. Shine your Light, and I'll find my way home, to you and Zack. I promise."

Bringing Cloud's lips to his, Leon purred with contentment. "I'm not worried, Cloud. I know for a fact that you'll find your way home."

Cloud left a trail of kisses, along Leon's chin, leading downwards to the pulse point. He licked Leon's neck, enjoying his Kitten's taste. "And the Organization?"

If Cloud had raised his head, he would have seen the most evil grin on Leon's face. "Oh, I'm not worried about them. The bastards made my Zack cry. Once I tell Uncle Sora, he'll kill them all."

Laughing, Cloud increased the caressing of his fiery Kitten. "You have a lot of faith in your little brother. Don't you?"

Opening legs wider, Leon moaned, with the sensations his husband gave him. "Of course, Cloud. Sora was raised by the Captain."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: If you played KH2, I know I'm asking for total suspension of disbelief, with Leon, since he's now 5 and ½ months along, about the belly not showing. At first, I tried to do the whole MCP shebang in one huge chapter. Poop City. Instead, I offer shorter multiple chapters, hoping quality will make up for quantity. (2nd Revision done on 4/14/09. This will be the last revised chapter.)

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Balls don't like Yuffie. Aerith is badass!

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), Cid/Vincent, Sephiroth (In Flesh)/Zack (In Spirit)

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Protective Mommy Lion, Hurt-Ass Great Ninja Yuffie, Badass Auntie Aerith, Scared Puppy Zack, CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, Ref. KH2 Plot and Dialogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness.

**Chapter 18 - Computer Blues**

XXX

Cloud had just left for morning patrol, when Cid banged on Leon's bedroom door. "Fuck-up! Fuck-up! Leader needs to fix fuck-up! Grandbaby can keep on sleepin'."

Zack giggled in the womb, while Leon rose up, grumbling about favoritism. "_Sorry, Mommy. I'd help, but I'm still cooking."_

With love, Leon petted his five-and-a half month belly. "You keep on growing, Puppy. Unlike you, Mommy likes doing the boring Leader things."

Returning the wave of love, Zack rolled over to get some more sleep. "_That's good. The Zack hates being Leader. Being a Hero's more exciting. Love you, Mommy."_

Leon sent comforting waves of Light, until he made sure Zack stayed asleep.

Opening the bedroom door, Leon took a deep inhale in, readying himself for whatever lay ahead, for the Leader of The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee that day. "I love you too, Baby. I wish I could make the Worlds safer for you before you're born. I need for you to be safe. That's all that matters to me now."

XXX

Stopping in the hallway, Leon fought the urge to laugh, when he spied a teary-eyed Great Ninja, holding an ice pack to her butt-cheek.

Yuffie pointed one finger at her adopted brother's nose. "Shut-up! S'not funny! Don't talk to me!"

Leon made the trek halfway, towards Cid's computer, before he broke down sniggering.

Yuffie's angered whines echoed through the room. She would have thrown the ice pack, but Aerith already warned her she would be getting just one. "Sadist! Zack's Mommy's a sadist!"

Cid stopped the tom-foolery, with one slammed fist to the computer. "Yuffie! Shut the fuck up! Leon! Laugh at yer sister later, and get the fuck over here. Serious problem happenin' with the MCP. The thing's screwin' with mah security system, and makin' the balls of Light attack everythin'. Leavin' the matter up to you and Sis to figure out."

Leon half-turned, to smile at 'Sis' Aerith. She had used a spell to float down from the roof. "Guess I get to have another adventure, before I'm permanently house-bound. You ready, Aerith?"

Aerith nodded, in her serene way, but her light-green eyes yelled, "Hell, yes!"

Leon clapped a comforting hand on Cid's shoulder. " Don't worry, Captain. Aerith and I will take care of the mess. If the problem's more than we can handle, I'll call back-up on the cell."

With a grunt, Cid nodded, and resumed typing away. "I'll keep the fort here. Brat'll help me, whenever her ass decides to heal. Vincent's sleepin,' more than the Captain would like, but Ah got no say there."

Leon gave a light punch to Cid's tense shoulder. "Don't worry, Cid. Your Junebug's growing, and Vincent's body needs the extra rest. I take my nap when Cloud visits me at lunchtime. The sleep's completely normal."

Cid snorted, without missing a beat. "Ain't nothin' normal in the Captain's life. Jest the way Ah like it. Stay by Sis's side. Don't fight if ya don't have to. She'll keep ya safe."

Leon halted, next to an amused Aerith, who held Princess Guard at the ready. "Shouldn't he be saying that to you about me?"

Aerith giggled, while the couple walked out, and Leon closed the door behind them. "Did you ever wonder what the Materia slotted in Princess Guard entails?"

Grinning, Leon destroyed any errant Heartless and Nobodies, unlucky enough to get in their way. "I always wondered, but you never tell until you're ready. I also noticed that you have four Materia, while there's room for six. Why don't you have more?"

Noticing the two had entered the Second Restoration Site, Aerith stopped. "When I first came back to life, everyone wanted to ensure I would be safe alone. Therefore, the group gave me the strongest Materia in their collection, even Yuffie. Let the enemies pile up around us, and I'll show you."

Sensing something grand, Leon stayed by Aerith's laughing side, while she referred to the Materia, and the enemy inched closer.

With a beaming smile of great delight, Aerith pointed to the pretties in her collection. "The first one holds the Master Magic. Cid gave me this. I can do all the spells by myself, but the boost helps for the bigger jobs, like the Heartless Battle. The second ball retains the Master Command, which I received from Vincent. All the moves and spells he stole from the creatures of Gaia lie here for me to use. The third Mega All Materia focuses for the fourth, and last Materia. Yuffie left the sphere next to my pillow the first night I returned. This targets any given command or spell to encompass all enemies."

Feeling edgy, with the hundreds of Nobodies and Heartless swarming their location, Leon prompted Aerith, about the last Materia. "And the fourth one?"

Leon gasped at seeing Aerith's soft smile become absolutely wicked.

Smirking, Aerith held Princess Guard high. "The fourth Materia came from Cloud before he left. The Ancients called the Materia, Knights of the Round!"

With wide, shocked eyes, Leon held a protective arm over his womb, while the summoned Knights slaughtered all that lived around them. By the time the last Knight had vanished, not one enemy remained.

Even though Aerith had lowered Princess Guard, Leon did not remove the arm from around his womb. "You're pretty scary, Sis."

Inside Leon, Zack opened one blue eye, before resuming his slumber. "_You've got no idea, Mommy."_

Aerith tut-tutted her brother's fright. Linking her arm in his, she urged his hesitant body towards the Postern. "Relax. I'm the Good Witch. Remember?"

While the couple walked, Leon's gaze centered on the ground. "Aerith, we both know what Cloud's going to have to do. The Worlds seem so chaotic now. After Zack's born, if anything should happen to me, you'll protect him. Right?"

Aerith rebuked Leon, with a light nudge of her staff. "Silly. Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise. Worry about Zack, and everything else will fall into place. Trust Big Sister on this."

Moving into the Corridors, Leon placed a strong hand on top of Aerith's petite one. "Always, Sis. Always."

XXX

When Leon and Aerith walked into Ansem's old study, Leon frowned at the unmistakable sounds of working machinery, lasers firing, and the oddity of gunning engines inside an enclosed computer room.

Entering the passageway to the Computer Room, Leon snarled, running towards the railing. Blue-grey eyes scanned over the great activity happening in the lower Computer Memory Banks.

Running into the Computer room, Leon typed out the instructions, to open the metal side door.

Holding Lionheart at the ready, Leon, with caution, made his way down towards the seeming location of all the ruckus.

Lowering Lionheart, a shocked Leon spied the Computer, itself, manufacture a multitude of Heartless, right in front of his amazed eyes.

Feeling his Mommy's panic, Zack woke up with a start. He yelped at the sight of the Heartless surrounding them. "_Scary cycles, Mommy! Scary cycles! Make 'em go away!"_

The new Heartless, colored black with red lines, running on one wheel, attempted to rundown a flabbergasted Leon.

Brought back by his baby's alarmed cries, Leon destroyed the Heartless, with one swipe of the Gunblade. "Don't be scared, Zack. Mommy will protect you."

Running back to the upper Computer Room, killing more Heartless along the way, Leon shook his head at a frightened Aerith. He cursed when a red alarm sounded above them.

Sensing a change on the computer screen, Leon walked towards the monitor, with Aerith guarding his back.

The message on the screen read: "Ignorant Users. Obey the MCP."

The Lion, inside Leon, growled. The Puppy, inside his womb, growled alongside him.

Leon and Zack may be adopted Highwinds, but they were still Highwinds, raised right by the Captain. No one told them shit, without getting dealt!

Leon felt Aerith's face rub against his shoulder, while she read along. He quirked a curious eyebrow, in answer to her quick laughter. "What's so funny?"

Holding one demure hand over her smiling mouth, Aerith continued to giggle. "I don't know about you, but I can't wait to tell Cid. He's been itching for another fight."

At the thought of Cid's no-doubt, curse-filled response to the MCP, Leon burst out laughing, hugging Aerith tight. "You're right, Aerith. I can't wait to tell Cid, either."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: I'm going to be skimming most of the MCP thingamajig, because almost all of you probably know the cut-scenes by heart, and giving Donald's and Goofy's lines to Sora. Having done kettle bell exercises with women, during their sixth month of pregnancy, I can say, with complete conviction, Leon could definitely run up that canyon, slashing Heartless along the way. Don't mess with the Pregnant! Their strength be over 9000! Sorry for the long wait, but there's probably only two chapters left. Next update soon. Promise!

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Captain Cid answers. Baby Lucy learns. Leon runs. Aerith shines.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), Cid/Vincent, Sephiroth (In Flesh)/Zack (In Spirit)

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Amazed Princess Lucy, Sora being Sora, Running-Slashing Mommy Lion, Seasick Puppy Zack, Badass Auntie Aerith, Demon-Shocking CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, Ref. KH2 Plot and Dialogue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness.

**Chapter 19 - Eradicate This!**

XXX

Housed safe inside Vincent's mental Manor, held close by Mama Chaos, Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness, listened with rapt attention to her father's curse-filled ranting. With each new word learned, Mama Chaos clutched her small body tighter and tighter.

Looking up, Lucy marveled at the fire coming from Mama Chaos's eyes. "Mama? Can I say the word that starts with a C. It sounded pretty."

Jiggling his Precious on his hip, Chaos glared out the huge bay window of Vincent's eyes. "Absolutely not. Such words are the utterances of the coarsest peasant."

Lucy's attention, once again, directed itself towards her father, typing furiously on his computer.

The volume having raised to maximum Southern Preacher level.

Big blue eyes, so like Cid's, widened even more. Oooh. Daddy started using the forbidden-get-kicked-off-the-roof words.

With a snarling growl, Chaos could take no more. "Captain Cid Highwind! If you do not desist, with this vulgar verbal display, you shall never be allowed near our body again!"

At the sound of the Missus's Demon alter ego over the intercom, Cid swung around, with a nicotine-tinged gasp, and stared at the accusing sound box. "H-h-h-ey up there! Uh…umm. Plumb dang fergot 'bout y'all."

Shrinking at the deafening silence, Cid scratched the back of his head. "Mah Junebug's prob'ly sleepin' away. It bein' nap-time and all. She didn't hear all that. Did she?"

Cid cringed, hearing the answering demonic hiss. "Now, don't get all sore on me, Chaos. Ah got the right to be a little mad. Damned MCP fuckin' shit up-and-all. Kin's all split up and in danger 'gain. Ya know Ah can't stand that."

Disbelieving himself for the umpteenth time, Chaos felt his ancient soul relent. "You are lucky, My Sky, our host sleeps. For being a non-Demon, he is far less forgiving, even when it comes to you."

Crossing strong arms across an even stronger chest, Cid shook his head, with a chuckle. "Don't Ah know it."

Hearing embarrassed feet shuffling behind him, Cid swerved around, with a well-placed bellow. "What the fuck y'all still standin' here for!?! Sora! Donald! Goofy! Get Tron off the game grid and ready to set up the MCP Eradicator! Yuffie! Where's mah tea? Merlin! Yer magic's still bullshit! Tee hee. Now get goin'!"

After running into each other, Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran out the door towards the Borough.

Yuffie flew to the stove, taking one finished teakettle off, replacing it quickly with another.

Merlin directed a lightning bolt at Cid's feet, barely missing his guffawing frame, by an inch.

Chaos, once again, reminded Lucy never to marry a 'Backwater Expert.'

Lucy inquired, how she would know, if the man didn't tell her.

Chaos hesitated, before replying. "He will be the foul-mouthed insufferable bumpkin who just won't die."

Cid gave the snarling intercom a loving pat. "Ah love you too, Ms. Snooty."

XXX

Leon held his ground, at the entrance to the Heartless Manufactory. Lionheart at the ready. Baby Zack growling in his inner ear. _"Come on! Yucky cycles! My Mommy'll smash all of ya!"_

Hearing a small stampede behind him, Leon whirled around, ready to slash. Blue-grey eyes widened to spy Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Goofy held his white hand up, in defense. "Gawrsh, it's only us!"

Aerith motioned with Princess Guard. "You can't talk to Tron, if this room gets taken over.

Leon continued to block the doorway. Lower belly glowing, in hello, to Uncle Sora. "Did you check in with Cid?"

Sora smiled, in response. "Uh-huh. And the Eradicator's almost done."

Feeling some action finally coming her way, Aerith nudged Leon on the shoulder. "Great! Say, Leon. Why don't you go work with Cid. I have this place under control."

Lowering his Gunblade, Leon glanced uncertainly. "Are you sure? All by yourself…?"

The indignant look, received from Big Sis, left both Leon and Zack, inside, cowered. _"Mommy, don't make the Good Witch angry. Remember?"_

Leon gulped, laying an arm over his belly. "Er, sorry. It's all yours."

Sora stopped Leon, on his way out. "Cid told us Tron seemed to be trapped on the Game Grid. We've decided to go talk to him in person."

Leon embraced his confident little brother tight. "When you find Tron, go to the I/O Tower. That's where we'll upload the MCP Eradication Program."

Sora gently returned the hug, around Leon's glowing middle, strengthening Zack's light with his own. "The I/O Tower. Got it!"

Leaning down, Leon kissed the top of Sora's head, before letting go. "Thanks. And watch your backs."

Sora gave a hearty fist pump, before the computer uploaded the trio into the land dubbed, 'Space Paranoids.'

XXX

Leon noticed something odd, running down the Canyon slope. "Puppy? Why are you quiet, Baby?"

Slashing random Heartless, in his path, Leon's inner sense viewed Zack, with small hands covering little mouth. _"Mommy running. Motion sickness. Never had it before. Daddy cursed me. Stupid Chocobo puke genes."_

Not knowing what else to do, Leon sped up, holding one arm around his belly. To his relief, the Committee House soon came into sight. He slammed the door open, frowning to spy the apparent disorder within. "Finished with the Eradicator?"

Cid didn't even look up from his typing. "Would be. If it weren't for the old loon's magic."

Merlin whirled around. "Old loon, you say!"

Cid fired off a one-finger salute, without once halting with the coding. "I'm tryin' to work here!"

Both Leon, and Yuffie, took the obligatory five steps back.

Merlin gathered his magic, for the Ultimate spell. "Oh ho-ho-ho. I'll show you who's old!"

Readying himself to dodge, Cid typed in the last of the code. Popping the disk out, he caught it, and launched himself away from the keyboard, right when Merlin's spell hit.

With a slightly-singed wave of triumph, Cid held up the disk. "There you go, Leon. One homemade program. A loony wizard special."

Chagrined, he had once again missed, Merlin tapped his wand. "This had better work. Be on you guard!"

Holding a steady hand to his middle, Leon nodded to both Merlin, and Cid. "I'm off."

XXX

Baby Zack had barely recovered, when his beautiful Mommy began the long sprint back up the Canyon.

Unlike the trip down, the MCP had caught wind of Leon's plans, lining the path with multiple enemies.

The Lion silently reveled, while cleaving his foes. He, especially, felt proud, landing down on one knee, after cutting a Devastator in half, in front of the Postern. He struggled not to laugh, when his inner sense sent him a picture of an extremely nauseous Puppy now bouncing upside-down.

"_Not funny, Mommy! Not funny! Don't tell Daddy neither. Promise!"_

Leon stifled his laughter, racing through the Corridors. "I promise nothing. You've had your share of fun using your Daddy's old motion sickness against him. It's not my fault our genetics backfired on you. Now hush. Mommy has to help save the World again."

Pouting, Zack righted himself, inside. "_Y'okay. Hero's stuff first. Just no more running."_

Skidding up, next to a bright-eyed Aerith, Leon typed frantically on the keyboard.

With flashing lights, the MCP refused to give an inch. "Warning. User control is terminated indefinitely."

After typing some more, Leon finally pounded his fists on the keyboard. Baby Zack's whines resounding through his brain. "No good!"

Arching a pert eyebrow, Aerith stared the monitor down. "Leon, let me try."

Knowing better than to get in Sis's way, especially when she smiled like that, Leon quickly handed Aerith the disk.

Sensing its impending doom, the MCP's verbal warnings became more urgent. "This is your final warning. Stop at once!"

Evil smile turning into a downright smirk, Aerith inserted the Eradicator disk, with one unforgiving finger. "Bon appetit! Don't talk with your mouth full."

The MCP made a horrendous noise. Monitor face blinking-in-and-out. "Wh-what are you loading?"

Placing petite hands, on hips, Aerith let loose a hearty Gongagan Wake-Up Call.

A familiar Baby echo resounded through Leon's shaking head. "Yeah, Sis. Pretty scary."

XXX

Once Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned from Space Paranoids, Tron had some good news for all. "Wait, just a moment. I want to show you something. I dug up from the system archives. You can see the town, back when it was first built."

Walking up towards his cub's and Leon's location, Cloud looked up to the sky, amazed to see beams of light shoot upwards. Comforting arms soon embraced his waist. Turning his head, he brushed a kiss against Leon's brow. A firm hand resting over the glowing lower belly. "Heard you two had a little adventure today, without me."

Leon rested against Cloud, smiling to hear his Puppy coo at the falling glitter. "Last big one. Promise. We were never in any danger. Sis had our back all the way."

Together, the pair strolled back towards the Committee House.

The magical shards of light caught in Cloud's spikes, like a halo. "Well, that's okay then. If anything happens, to either one of us, we always have Aerith."

Raising a gloved hand, Leon marveled at the different colors flowing through his fingers. "Yes, Cloud. We'll always have Aerith."

Aerith gave an amused shake of the head, from her vantage point, at the Postern. Silly boys.

Turning, Aerith smiled in Sora's direction, perhaps the future generations would have more trust. "You know, Sora, this town had another name once."

Stopping, in mid-twirl, Sora gazed up to his Sis, with big, blue eyes. "Hm?"

Raising her arms wide, Aerith allowed her aura to shine, filling the Postern with Light. "Radiant Garden."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: This is the LAST and FINAL chapter for "Strategy." I thought I had two chapters left, but then I reminded myself this is Leon's story, so I'll only be alluding to the main events happening in KH 2. I would like to thank all my readers, old and new, for staying with me during this tumultuous year. I salute you all with a hearty Gongagan Wake-Up Call.

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Summary: Babies are born. Organizations crumble. The Light shines on.

Pairings: Cloud/Leon (Squall), Cid/Vincent, Sephiroth/Zack, Riku/Sora

Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG no longer, Surprising Vincent and Baby, Big Brother Sephiroth, Keyblader Sora and Friend, Chocobo Protects His Own, Daddy CID! And Cid-inspired Cursing, Mommy and Puppy leave the Light on, Old Estharian Sex Change, Old Hojo Sex Enhancement, Ref. KH2 Plot and Dialogue. Vincent Valentine is from Final Fantasy 7. In my AU, he is Sephiroth's father and Riku's grandfather always.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for Lucy "Junebug" Highwind, Princess of the Darkness.

**Chapter 20 - Baby Mine**

XXX

Cid felt miffed, when Vincent's third trimester finally rolled around, and the Missus still remained on the roof.

With his sanity returned to him, Vincent calmed the Captain remarking the long wait would soon end.

Like most of his dealings with the Dark Angel, Cid should have asked Vincent to be more specific.

XXX

Cid rolled over in bed, smiling to sense a familiar warmth returned to him. "About time ya landed, Baby."

Opening sky blue eyes, Cid stared directly into a smaller pair. "HOOOOOLY SHIIIIIIIIIT!"

Flying out of bed, Cid's back hit the set of drawers across the way. "Vince? There's a baby in our bed!"

Wearing a soft cotton nightgown, Vincent remained laying in place. Neither he, nor the baby, batted an eye at their beloved's antics. "Silly Daddy. Where else would my Princess be?"

Cid slowly edged forward. Eyes glued to his newborn daughter. "Not that I'm mindin,' but wasn't she supposed to be cookin' fer a couple more months?"

Waiting until Cid laid back down, Vincent handed the baby over with a rare smile. "According to Merlin, demonic pregnancies require less time to gestate. In actuality, Lucy is a month late. Aerith and Merlin helped me with the birth. Since the labor was so fast and easy, they did not feel the need to wake you. Please do not be angry, Cid. You have been under so much stress. I wished for you to have one night of true rest."

Awestruck, Cid cradled Lucy close, grinning when she grabbed tight hold of his pinky. "Ah won't lie, Vince. Ah'm relieved Junebug takes after you. Mah ugly mug suits me fine, but ain't fittin' fer a princess."

Resting his head against Cid's upper arm, Vincent played with Lucy's other hand. "Look closer, My Love. While she may take after me, she has the Highwind coloring. I fear her golden hair and blue eyes shall deceive many. A Princess of Darkness should not seem like an angel. Yet here she is. Chaos is quite pleased."

Cid kissed the top of Vincent's head. "Ah bet he is."

Bending over, Cid lavished his baby all over with kisses. Pausing, for a moment, he jerked up with a curse.

Vincent quickly checked Lucy. Unable to find anything amiss, he gently petted Cid's arm. "Cid? What's wrong."

Cid stared off into space, for a long time, until he met Vincent's concerned eyes. "Growin' up, me bein' a boy, mah Mama jest let me run around with a nappy on. Whenever Ah rolled around in shit, she'd hose me off and push me back outside. Leon already said he'd do the same with Zack. Sorta figured we'd do the same with Lucy."

"Look at her, Vince. Ah thought Chaos was talkin' out his ass, but Junebug's a Princess through and through. She should be wearin' lace and velvet. The sorta shit this workin' man can't afford. She should've had a king fer her Daddy, instead she got stuck with this old, sad dumbfuck."

Turning Cid's head, Vincent comforted him with a soulful kiss. "Do not fret, Captain. This very matter has already been taken care of. On my behalf, Aerith spoke with the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, who have set up a new clothing shop in the Marketplace."

"The trio agreed, if our babe arrived looking anything like me or Sephiroth, they would be happy to make our baby's clothing for free. Our baby will be a living advertisement, but I believe it a small price to pay, since she will no doubt be stared at anyway."

Releasing a big sigh of relief, the proud grin returned to Cid's face. "Havin' a hard time lookin' away meself."

Nestling closer, Vincent wrapped his arms around Cid and his bright-eyed princess. "Lucy loves you My Sky. She loves her Daddy with all her heart."

Tears raining down, Cid raised his baby up. Kissing her forehead, he smiled to feel tiny hands wipe his face. "Right back atcha, Junebug. Right back atcha."

XXX

With the eradication of the MCP, and decimation of most of the enemy during the Heartless Battle, the amount of Heartless and Nobodies appearing in Radiant Garden dwindled to a mere handful.

Heartened by this wondrous occurrence, the whole village recommenced Reconstruction at almost a nonstop pace.

Since his presence was no longer needed overlooking the Dark Depths, Sephiroth proved his worth by hauling heavy machinery, and organizing the 'troops' in Leon's stead.

Awaiting the birth of Zack, the Lion was now happily assigned to near 24 hour couch and bed rest. Swollen ankles propped up on pillows. Mind preoccupied with his Puppy's constant chattering and dreams of the future.

Cloud took a vigilant, unblinking stance on the roof. The false Sephiroth and Organization remained at large. The Beast would die before either party came near his resting Kitten and unborn cub.

XXX

Teleporting into the Committee House for lunch, Sephiroth sat down next to a humming Leon. He smiled at the glowing belly. "Is Beloved well today?"

Placing his book to the side, Leon clutched Sephiroth's hand. Blue-grey eyes dancing with merriment. "Oh, he's fine. However, we need you to close your eyes for one moment."

If anyone else, but Zack's Mommy, had asked him, Sephiroth would have refused in a heartbeat.

With an air of uncertainty, Sephiroth closed his eyes. Two seconds later, the eyelids flew up when a small bundle dropped into his arms. Glaring down, he stared into wondering eyes of aqua blue.

Cid clapped his shocked step-son on the shoulder. "Well, don't jest sit there! Say hello to yer sister! Gotta do it quick, though. Vince says it's her feedin' time soon and mah Junebug gits ornery without her vittles."

Sephiroth stared down at his sibling. Reaching out with the Darkness, he smiled to feel her overwhelmingly strong response.

Lucy stared back up at her big brother. Grabbing onto his forefinger, she cooed.

Sephiroth raised his gaze to meet Leon's beaming face. "I agree with Father Chaos. Death to all suitors."

Brow furrowing with concern, Leon petted his belly, hearing Zack's distressed whine for his new playmate. "Don't be hasty, Sephiroth. In the future, I'm sure Lucy will meet a wonderful person who will treat her with love and respect. Right, Cid?"

Walking to his computer, Cid shrugged. "Ah'm with Sephiroth on this one. Includin' mahself, Ah found all men to be horny perverted cheatin' lyin' bastards. Pretty sure it'll be sheep to the slaughter, when Junebug hits puberty, but Ah figger it's a good way to keep in shape."

Sighing, Leon sat up to argue, when all eyes turned to the door, which suddenly slammed open with a bang.

To Leon's shock, Sora flew across the room, slamming into the couch. Uncharacteristically, he reared up snarling. "Let me at him, Cloud! I'm Zack's uncle! I have to protect him!"

Clomping forward, an enraged Cloud held up one hand, stopping Sora cold. "Shut up. You said enough back there. If Kitten didn't love you so much, I would have let you fight him. It would serve you right to die for being stupid."

Slowly shuffling in and closing the door, a guilty Goofy and Donald looked on.

Petting a shaking back, Leon held Sora's hand. "Sora? What are you still doing here? I thought you left for Twilight Town this morning."

With tears of rage streaming down his face, Sora stared at the floor. "With Lucy being born so early, I wanted to make sure Zack would be safe, before I went to fight the Organization. I know I swore to stay away from the false Sephiroth, but I've gotten so much better with my fighting skills. If Cloud hadn't interfered, I really think I would have beaten him."

Glancing up, Leon's heart sank to see Goofy glumly shake his head behind Cloud's back. "Hyuck. Sorry, Leon. We tried to stop Sora, but the false Sephiroth showed up. Before we could get away, he started sayin' all these mean things to make Sora angry."

Hugging his little brother close, Leon rubbed his head against Sora's . "What did he say, Sora?"

Twisting around, Sora dried his tears on Leon's steady shoulder. "The false Sephiroth said once Zack was born he would take Zack far away, where we would never be able to find him. He said Zack was his gift from Xemnas for killing Cloud. Xemnas wouldn't care as long as he had you."

Growling, Sephiroth could feel the Darkness rising inside him. His murderous thoughts were hastily halted by a harsh yank of the hair and a reproachful look of sky blue eyes. Shaking his head, he rocked his sister in his arms. He had almost crushed her small body in his rage. "My apologies, Lucy. I must remember these are only words. My Beloved still resides safe inside his Mommy."

With a coo, Lucy stuck a hand in her mouth, along with Sephiroth's hair, falling straight to sleep.

Clasping Sora close, Leon's weary gaze met Cloud's glowing sad eyes. "I guess it's time."

Raising one hand, Cloud brushed his fingers down Leon's soft cheek. "Yeah."

Releasing a deep breath, Leon drew Sora away. "Sora? We've had this planned out, since Zack's conception. Aerith promises me this plan will work, but I need you to follow my directions. No arguments. Understand me?"

In defiance, Sora stuck his lip out. Meeting Leon's unblinking Lion's glare, he quickly backed down. "You want me to go straight to the Gummi Hanger and fly to Twilight Town. No detours. No matter what happens."

Smiling, Leon brought Sora in for another hug. "See, Zack? Your Uncle Sora's so smart. He's going to find the Organization's hideout and kill all the bad men who made you cry. Right, Sora?"

Lower lip trembling, Sora leaned down and gently kissed Leon's stomach. "Yeah, Zack. I'll find Kairi, Riku, and make sure those bad men never bother you or Lucy again. I promise."

Sora smiled when Leon's belly glowed brighter in response. Rising up, he walked to the door. Like always, Goofy and Donald following close behind him.

Half-turning, Sora waved a hand. "See ya soon."

Receiving his adoptive family's well wishes, the young hero swiftly turned and strode out the door.

XXX

Cloud gently laid Leon down for his afternoon nap. Laying beside him, he cupped his Kitten's dear face. "Don't cry. I won't be gone long. Once he's dead, I'll look for your Light and find my way home. Promise."

Embracing Cloud tight, Leon rubbed his tears on Cloud's sweater. "I miss you already. I don't want to give birth to Zack while you're gone. But if I give birth to Zack, while the impostor's still here, he'll try to steal my baby from me."

Cloud ran sure hands up-and-down Leon's arms. "Relax. Remember the plan. I take care of the impostor. While I'm gone, Sephiroth protects the family, and Sora rids the Worlds of the Organization. Sis swears the plan's rock-solid."

Leon choked out a tear-filled laugh. "Aerith keeps saying I worry too much."

Cloud buried his nose in Leon's hair, inhaling his loved one's scent. "You wouldn't be my Kitten if you didn't."

Raising his head, Leon surprised Cloud with a deep kiss. Moving away, he nuzzled yearning lips with a seductive purr. "I love you, Cloud. When Darkness's Abyss calls out to your soul, remember your Kitten and cub are waiting at home. The Darkness can never provide your Beast what my Light, love, and body can."

Growling low, Cloud clenched Leon near. Bringing his love in for a brutal kiss, he drew blood, and left Leon gasping for air. "Dammit, Kitten. I have to go fight. Don't start something I can't finish."

Leaving a trail of kisses along Cloud's jaw, Leon smiled, while his hand crept underneath Cloud's battle skirt. "Typical SOLDIER. Only thinking of one way to do things. You need to think more like a SEED, Cloud. There's more than one way to shine a sword."

Hearing Cloud's indrawn gasp, a smirking Kitten quickly showed his Beast what he would be missing in the long days to come.

XXX

"Ah don't know, Son. Ya sure yer comfortable sittin' on this wooden bench? Ah got it cushioned up the wazoo, but wood's wood."

Leon gifted Cid with a fake smile. "Cid, I'll be fine. Sephiroth's on the roof. Aerith will sit with me. Yuffie's keeping lookout over the Borough and Tifa has Cloud's back. Go sit with Vincent. I know you want to spend more time with Lucy."

Bending down, the Captain gave Leon a quick buss on the head. "Stay strong, Son. Ah can't recollect how many times the Missus went fightin' through the Darkness. He'd always try to shove me away, but Ah'd wait him out. Look at mah reward. Ah'm old, near broke, with an ornery newborn Princess on mah hands."

Leon beamed up at Cid. "And you couldn't be happier."

Cid's cocky grin lit up his face. "Fuck yeah! Gotta shovel through the shit to get to the shinola, Ah always say."

Hearing the door open, the pair turned to see Aerith walk out. "Cid? Vincent wants to nap with Lucy, but he can't sleep without hearing your voice."

Grin widening, Cid clapped Leon on the shoulder. "Shinola, Son. Nothin' but shinola."

Watching Cid walk inside, and shut the door, Aerith sat down next to Leon. "Shinola?"

With a laugh, Leon shook his head. "Just Cid being Cid."

Grasping Aerith's hand, Leon's false mask of bravery fell away. "Sis, can you tell me what's happening? I thought I would be able to sense something, but I can't, and Sephiroth's shielding Zack from the false Sephiroth's interference."

Tilting her head, Aerith's gaze became unfocused. "It's hard to tell. All I can feel is rage, pain, and anger. The condensed Darkness isn't helping. Tifa is doing what she can, but she's a deterrent at best. The best I can do is tell you when to shine your Light the brightest to help."

Leaning in, Aerith smiled at Leon's glowing belly. "Think you can do that, Mr. Quiet Scaredy-Cat?"

Rolled up in a tight little ball in Leon's womb, Zack didn't have room to wave his hands. _"Mommy! Make her take that back! I'm not a scaredy-cat. I'm a brave SOLDIER hero!"_

Sniggering, Leon petted his upset belly. "Yes, you are, but you're also a worried Puppy who doesn't want his Daddy to get hurt and go away. It's okay to be scared, Zack. I am too."

Leon groaned when Zack pumped his fist in response. _"Oops. Sorry. Don't be scared, Mommy. I'm here. I don't care what the other Sephiroth said. I'd never leave you or My Angel alone. Just see him try and take me away! I'll pee on him and punch him in the eye. The other Sephiroth won't want me then."_

Clasping Aerith's hand tight, Leon wrapped his arm completely around his belly. "Oh, Puppy. You have no idea how precious you are."

Aerith nudged Leon's shoulder. "To tell the truth, Zack never did. It's what makes him so special."

Smiling at Aerith, Leon's eyebrows furrowed, seeing Aerith suddenly straighten up. "Sis? Is it time?"

With a quick nod, Aerith unleashed her full Light.

Hastily closing his eyes, Leon did the same, feeling Zack respond.

On the roof, Sephiroth shielded himself from the onslaught of Light. Despite the pain, he kept his vigil. With the commotion, this would be a perfect time for the Organization to strike. Death would come, before the enemy came anywhere near his family.

Leon still had no idea what was happening. All he could do was shine his Light and hope for the best. His concentration was finally broken by a soft touch to the shoulder.

Retracting his Light, Leon opened his eyes, hoping to see Cloud's beloved face. Hope quickly turned into despair, when he looked into Tifa's sad eyes. "Oh no. Oh gods, no. I lied. I can't do this alone. Bring him back. I'll do whatever you want. Just bring my husband back."

Releasing Aerith's hand, Leon wrapped his other arm around his belly, and began to rock back-and-forth.

Leon's mental retreat was put to a stop by a firm hand to the shoulder. He raised a tear-stained face, shocked to meet Sephiroth's piercing emerald eyes.

Sephiroth made sure he had Leon's full attention. "You cannot give in, Zack's Mommy. Beloved needs you now more than ever. While others cannot see into the Darkness, I can. Rest assured, Strife has the upper hand on the doppelganger. He may not be home soon, but he will return. However, you must shine your Light for him to see. Without your Light to guide the way, he truly will be lost forever."

Collecting himself, Leon placed his hand over Sephiroth's. "Thank you, Sephiroth. I will be alright now. I know what I have to do until Cloud returns."

With a firm nod, Sephiroth returned to the roof.

Leon placed a comforting hand on his belly. "Puppy? Please don't be quiet. I get scared when you're quiet."

Inside, Zack positioned his head to rub against Leon's hand. _"Don't be sad, Mommy. You're not alone. I'm here. Remember? I'll be your hero until Daddy comes home."_

Accepting Aerith's warm embrace, Leon rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm fine, Zack. Even when Daddy comes home, you'll still be my hero."

Tifa surprised Leon by sitting down, on the other side, and wrapping her arms around Aerith's. "For once, I agree with Sephiroth. Cloud kicked ass from the beginning. He'll be home before you know it."

Jumping down from the Borough, Yuffie somehow squeezed her small body behind everyone seated. "Ooh! Group hug! Lemme in!"

The adopted siblings stayed this way from twilight onward into the night. All doing their part to bolster Leon and Zack's Light, calling their lost loved one home.

XXX

Two months later, Leon's front porch wait was disturbed by an unexpected arrival.

As innocent as you please, Sora sauntered up with a sullen-looking Sephiroth look-a-like in tow.

Spying the held hands, Leon guessed instantly who the other boy could be. "Hey, Uncle Sora. I suppose congratulations should be in order."

Blushing hard, Sora quickly dropped the other boy's hand. "Riku! I said I'm not ready yet."

With a familiar snarl, the boy named Riku grabbed Sora's waist and hugged him tight. "And I said I don't care. You ate the Paopu fruit, and the neck scar isn't going away, so I guess you're stuck with me."

Grimacing, Sora brought his hand to his neck juncture. "You liar! I wondered why Nala kept asking me when my cub would be born."

To Leon's surprise, Vincent suddenly materialized next to him. "Who are you?"

Scratching the back of his head, Sora shrugged. "Uh, Missus Valentine- Highwind? Sir? Ya know who I am. I'm Sora. Your other adopted son?"

Riku smacked Sora on the butt. "He's talking to me, Sora. What's it to ya, Old Man?"

Using his butt muscles, Leon inched away from the demonic host standing next to his bench. He was relieved to also see a wide-eyed Sora step away.

"Father, why have you not punished this child for his impertinence?"

Riku wheeled around to view a stomach guard. Aqua blue eyes traveled far up to gaze into a familiar looking face. In a few years, he would probably be seeing the same visage reflected back to him in a mirror. Having fought the Darkness recently and won, he failed to bow down to the might before him. "Like I said to the other Old Man, what's it to ya… Old Man?"

Luckily for Radiant Garden's well-being, Aerith appeared to salvage the situation. "Sora! When King Mickey sent me the missive, I had no idea you would be arriving so soon."

Sailing past Sephiroth's tense frame, Aerith survived Sora's hearty glomp. "This must be Riku. We've heard so much about you. King Mickey sends his regards and is glad your mission has gone well so far."

Unable to hold any animosity, under Aerith's soothing Light, a rare grin lit up Riku's face. "I should have known Mickey would still keep tabs on me. Can you write and ask him to start the wedding stuff we talked about? Sora just wants me to meet the family, before we fly off to Twilight Town."

Letting Aerith go, Sora punched Riku in the arm. "I said give me two years, you hard-headed ass! Has it been two years yet? No!"

Halting Sora's tirade, Aerith gently touched Riku's arm. "Riku? I believe you have some of your own family to meet too."

Crouching, like a caged animal, Riku surveyed his surroundings. Wary eyes alighting on Sora's concerned frame. "Yeah, I sort of have an idea what it might be. But whatever it is , I'm not ready for it, so I'll stay at the Gummi Hangar if it's all the same to you."

With a quick pounce, Sora grabbed on to Riku's waist. "It's not all the same. Don't go, Riku. I won't be able to find you again, if you leave me."

Returning Sora's embrace, Riku shook his head. "So says the guy who doesn't want to get married."

Sniffling, Sora hid his face against Riku's shoulder. "Shut up."

Per usual, the romance was broken up by a harsh curse from Cid. "Vince! Where the fuck are ya? Ah don't know whut's up with mah Junebug, but she's raisin' a fierce ruckus."

Stomping outside, holding a squirming newborn one-handed, the Captain squinted at the scene. Striding up to the new visitor, he looked the boy over with a discerning eye. Making a quick decision, he hauled a yelping Sora away with one hand, and dropped Lucy into a surprised Riku's arms with the other.

With a satisfied grin, Cid watched as his Junebug calmed down. "Well, that settles it. Yer kin. Hey, Vince! So this is whut ya looked like befer the Turks? Chaos's been wrong all along. Don't matter what age y'are. Ah still woulda fucked ya."

Dancing in place, Cid hooted in glee, while a disgusted Vincent shot at his feet.

Backing away, Riku clutched the baby close. His retreat halted by Sephiroth's firm hand holding his belt. Not knowing where else to turn, he looked to the older man for guidance. "I can't be a part of this family. Everyone's crazy. It's not too late for me and the baby. There has to be a way out. There must be a way out."

With a grim face, Sephiroth resolutely dragged a whining Riku into the house. "Foolish boy. We are Valentines. There is no way out. There is only atonement."

XXX

Catching Sora's eye, Leon patted the seat next to him. "Seems they'll be busy for awhile. Since Zack's taking his afternoon nap, let's catch up on this mission you've been working on."

Before he took his seat, Sora looked away. "I did what I set out to do. Kairi's home. I found Riku and we destroyed the Organization. There were some things Xemnas said, before he died, about you and Vincent…"

Leon held up one hand. "Sora, you don't need to tell me. The false Sephiroth spelled out exactly what Xemnas had planned for me and my baby. I'm sure he had the same ideas about Vincent. To be frank, now the Organization's been destroyed, I don't care anymore. My baby's safe and you returned to us alive. Enough of this. Let's talk about something else."

Plopping down, Sora rested his head on Leon's shoulder. "Big Brother, I love Riku. I really do, but he makes me so mad sometimes. I thought once we reunited we would be one of those dream couples who never fight."

Laughing, Leon held Sora's hand. "Sora, let me tell you a little secret. That sort of couple doesn't exist. If it looks that way from the outside, usually one or both partners are repressing a lot of hurt feelings. From what I can tell, your relationship with Riku is moving along fine. He's a little hard-headed, but you seem to know ways to get around it."

Sora grinned. "Yeah, I do. It's just… When I get angry, I scare myself, thinking I may have been happier if I had never found him again."

Leon rested his head on top of Sora's. "When the anger ends, do you feel the same way?"

Sora sighed, with a pout. "No. Riku apologizes for being an ass. I apologize for slugging him. Then it starts all over again."

Leon interlaced his fingers with Sora. "I must confess, I'm glad you're making Riku wait to get married. While you may have searched for him all these years, I don't think you've really spent quality time to get to know each other. Two years is plenty of time to become familiar with the people you've now become."

The light returned to Sora's eyes. "Thanks for being my big brother, Leon."

Leon kissed Sora's forehead. "Anytime."

Hearing another fruitless attempt from Riku to escape, Sora decided to stay outside a little longer. "Say, Leon. When Cloud disappeared the first time, how long were you willing to wait for him to come back?"

Leon smiled in remembrance. "Say, Sora. When Riku was missing all those years, how long were you willing to search for him?"

Sora stared out towards the Borough. "Forever."

Smile growing wider, Leon placed a hand over his belly. "Ditto."

XXX

Leon's due date finally came. Like clockwork, his water broke, and the whole Committee readied themselves for the momentous birth.

There was only one problem, besides the father still missing. Zack didn't want to come out.

"Aerith! I don't know how, but make Zack let go of my hipbones!"

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Aerith once again laid hands on Leon's swollen belly. "He's not holding on to your hipbones. It just feels that way."

Closing her eyes, Aerith centered herself on the panicking little hero inside.

"_No! No! No! My Daddy's not home yet! I have to help Mommy with his Light. I promised!"_

Ignoring Leon's screams for his Gunblade, Aerith waited until Zack noticed her. "Zack? You can still help your Mommy when you're born, except he'll be holding you in his arms."

Aerith smiled, sensing Zack's resistance faltering. _"Yeah, but it's not the same."_

At wit's end, Aerith went for the clincher. "What about Sephiroth? He's been waiting all this time for you to be born. If you keep on fighting, he'll think you don't want to see him. He'll be sad again."

Smile growing wider, Aerith opened her eyes. "Okay, Leon. He's ready."

Flopping back onto the bed, Leon was too tired to smile back. "That's good, because I wasn't kidding about the Gunblade."

Two hours later, Zackary Laguna Strife entered the world with a hearty Radiant Garden Wakeup Call.

Aerith hastily cleansed and clothed Zack in a light blue sleeper and cap. She then placed him in Leon's arms. "I'll give you a moment before I let people in."

Barely hearing Aerith, Leon continued to softly weep. Unwrapping the warm blanket, he counted tiny fingers and toes, kissing each one. Seeing Zack shiver, he quickly bundled his joy back up. "Thank you for trusting me, Zack. I'll be a good Mommy. I promise. When your Daddy comes back, he'll be the best Daddy ever. You'll see."

Zack endured all this with big blue eyes centered on his Mommy. He wished he could talk to him like he could before, but all that ended with his birth. He could only bathe Leon in waves of Light and Love, hoping his beautiful Mommy understood.

Feeling his baby's response, Leon covered Zack's face with kisses, inhaling his sweet scent. "I feel you, Baby. I understand."

Mother and newborn rested for awhile, before a hesitant knock roused Leon from his slumber. "It's okay, if you want to come in."

Leon smiled to see a somewhat frightened Sephiroth walk in. "Come here. I keep thinking he'll fall asleep, but I think he's been waiting for you."

Waiting until Sephiroth sat down on the bed, Leon placed Zack into his arms.

Staring down, Sephiroth gazed into a pair of eyes he had long believed he would never see again. Unashamed, he began to cry.

Raising one finger, Sephiroth brushed the digit along Zack's delicate cheek. "See the wreck Jenova and the Darkness has made of your 'angel.' If you wish to shun me, I understand. However, I shall do everything I can to rectify my mistakes and win your love once again. Can you love me once more, Zackary? May I truly call you my Beloved?"

Taking firm hold of Sephiroth's forefinger, Zack sent a direct wave of Love and Light at his silly chosen.

Emitting a shocked gasp, Sephiroth choked on his tears. "I once cursed the Gods for taking your Light away from me. I should have known you would never allow mere fate to keep us apart. I apologize, Zackary, for doubting your commitment to me and our love. It will never happen again."

Leon softly petted Sephiroth's shoulder. "With Zack's birth, Sora and Riku should be returning in a few days. Although you two got off to a rocky start, I really think Zack will make things better. Perhaps you and Riku need to spend more time together. From what Cid tells me, he e-mails Vincent almost every day now."

Rocking Zack, Sephiroth uncharacteristically snorted. "Being the jubilant Grandfather he is, my father will accept my newfound son, no matter what he does or how he behaves. As for me, I've found Riku snobbish, arrogant, condescending, and downright rude. He may be highly advanced in the skills of Darkness, but there is much he needs to learn about life."

Leon couldn't help but laugh, when Zack yanked Sephiroth's hair.

Peering down, with a grumble, Sephiroth's frown became downright stern. "Do not give me that look, Zackary. I was a much more forgiving individual when we first met."

Sephiroth swore, when his hair received another hard pull. "By the Gods, I do not care if Father cries for a month, I am hacking this all off tomorrow. I will argue this matter with you no further, Zackary. I am Riku's father, therefore I shall handle the boy. He needs discipline and he shall receive it, whether he likes it or not."

Leon counted to three, before Sephiroth received another hair yank. "Am I missing something here? Aerith warned me I wouldn't be able to communicate with Zack once he was born. Can you talk with him through the Darkness?"

With a harrumph, Sephiroth kissed Zack on the forehead, and handed him back to Leon. "No. It is another thing Riku and I have argued about. He should wait before getting married. I married Zack when he turned eighteen years old. We lived together night-and-day until Nibelheim. If I cough in the other room, Zackary will know what I'm doing. The concept of privacy is virtually nonexistent."

Removing Zack's sleeping cap, to palm already spiking black hair, Leon beamed at Sephiroth's dour expression. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Refusing to admit defeat, Sephiroth flipped his hair with a dismissive sniff. "Whatever."

Glancing down, Leon knew it was too soon, but he could swear Zack was grinning.

XXX

Three months later, Leon rocked Zack while sitting in his rocking chair, placed next to the wooden bench in front of the old Committee House.

Since Leon refused to leave his waiting post, Sephiroth moved Zack's Mommy's comfy chair where it would do most good.

Leon beamed, watching Riku spar viciously with a supremely smug Sephiroth.

While it had been more for Vincent's and Lucy's benefit, Riku, along with Sora, had decided to relocate to Radiant Garden for good. Although he swore he didn't need any help, the extra training from his father didn't hurt either.

Spying a hint of red from the corner of his eye, Leon directed his smile towards Vincent, hiding in the shadows. "Has Cid discovered any new information on Riku's birth mother?"

Shrugging, Vincent placed a slumbering Lucy on his other shoulder. "Riku acknowledges his adoption, but has no further details. His Destiny Islands records only show his adoptive parents' names. Everything else has been erased or never existed to begin with. Although Sephiroth and I did not need them, the DNA tests prove Riku to be Sephiroth's biological son, and my grandson. This is all the information I need."

Turning back towards the action, Leon watched as Riku gathered up a huge ball of Darkness to throw in his father's direction.

Sephiroth regarded his son's effort with a sneer, until his enhanced ears picked up a strange noise. Realizing what it could be, he flew towards Riku.

Deflecting the ball of Darkness with one swipe of Masamune, Sephiroth tackled an astonished Riku and flew him out of harm's way.

A mere second before a large impact left a huge crater in front of the Committee House.

Leon slowly emerged from the open entranceway, where he and Vincent had dived with the babies.

Cradling a wide-eyed Zack carefully in his arms, Leon ventured a hope-filled look down into the new hole.

Coughing out two lungs full of dirt, Cloud sluggishly crawled his way out of the crater. Flopping on his face, he rolled onto his back.

Squinting from the afternoon sun's harsh glare, Cloud smiled to see two familiar faces. "Hey, Kitten."

Kneeling down, Leon kissed Cloud over and over, while Zack patted his face. "You're home. You came back to me."

Wincing, Cloud gingerly sat up, embracing his sobbing Kitten and cub close. "Your Light guided me back, Squall. The Darkness tried everything to control my Beast. But the thought of you, and our cub, kept me from falling back into the Abyss. It was the only thing that could. Thank you for not giving up on me."

Cloud frowned, feeling one of his spikes receive a harsh pull.

Drawing back, Cloud smirked to see a pair of reproachful Mako Blue eyes. "I just got back and you're already hassling me? Fine. Thanks, Zack, for helping your Mommy while I was gone. But I've returned, so you can go back to being a baby. Hey, did he just stick his tongue out at me?"

Smiling, through his tears, Leon handed a laughing Zack over for Cloud to hold. "It's a recent thing. Yuffie denies it, but I'm pretty sure it was the first thing she taught him."

About to stand up, Cloud was surprised to feel a large scarred hand clamp onto his shoulder. Looking up, he paled to see a perturbed Captain, without cigarette, viewing his destroyed front yard. "Mighty big hole ya left on mah porch, Strife."

Trying once again to stand up, Cid's vice-like hold kept the dusty Chocobo grounded. "Scared the Missus too. Can't seem to git him outta the room."

Cloud gulped. "Uh. Sorry?"

Cid shook Cloud's shoulder, but still didn't let go. "Apology accepted. Hell, once Ah git Lucy out from under him, Ah might git another baby out this."

Standing up, Leon petted the arm holding Cloud down. "Cid, can you let Cloud go? I want Aerith to check him over."

Cid clapped Leon on the shoulder, before giving Zack a fly-by nose tweak, earning him a loud raspberry. "Chocobo's fine. Jest need to git one thing straight befer Ah set him loose."

Cloud surrendered with a sigh. "Unlike the first hole, I swear to fill this hole up tomorrow, so no small children, or cigarette smoking Captains will accidentally fall in."

Smacking Cloud on the back, making him cough up another lungful of dirt, Cid turned to Leon. "See, Son? Ya can never stop yer kids from bein' stupid once. Jest make sure yer kids learn not to be stupid twice and they'll grow up jest fine. Now, if y'all excuse me, Ah have to go dig mah Junebug out from under her Mama."

Finally able to stand up, Cloud wrapped his arm around Leon's shoulders. "Please tell me Zack wasn't receiving the 'Captain's Education' while I was gone."

Leon stopped short. Balancing Zack on his hip, he gifted Cloud with a Light-filled smile. "Okay. I won't tell you."

Groaning in despair, Cloud followed his Kitten, closing the door behind him.

Peering down, from his vantage point on the roof, Riku shuddered. "I don't care what you say. There has to be a way out of this family."

Practicing his katas, Sephiroth sighed. "You shall find a way to leave, then Sora shall dazzle you with his Light once more. Zackary did the same throughout our marriage. Heed my words, Riku. Once a Highwind has you in his sights, adopted or not, you are done for."

Reminded of Sora's warm Light, Riku felt a goofy grin move across his face. Raising his hands to his visage, he slumped back against the chimney. "Atonement. Huh?"

Reminiscing on Zack's brilliance, Sephiroth's stern features softened momentarily. "Yes, my son. Sweet, sweet atonement."


End file.
